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State warns of aliens -- plants, that is -- in holiday wreaths

E-mail|Link|Comments () November 19, 2009 04:51 PM

Courtnay Janiak

A wreath made of Oriental bittersweet

By Michaela Stanelun, Globe Correspondent

It may sound like a Christmas movie crossed with a sci-fi thriller. But state officials are warning that alien invaders may be hidden in the holiday wreaths and garlands that many residents will be hanging in the next few weeks.

That's alien invasive plants, plants that aren't native to Massachusetts and that pose a risk of crowding out the normal plant life of the area.

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs warned in a statement that two plants commonly used in wreaths and garlands could damage or kill other plants and trees.

Oriental bittersweet and multiflora rose are illegal to import or sell under Massachusetts law, as both cause severe environmental damage and disrupt the growth of native plants.

"Oriental bittersweet is known to kill mature trees through strangling, and multiflora rose can form impenetrable thickets that keep out native plants," the statement said.

Kate Plourd, spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, said the plants are not damaging to people, just the environment.

"If the plants were to be thrown out in compost, or if birds eat it, they can deposit the seeds elsewhere," Plourd said.

The two plants are on a list of prohibited plants in Massachusetts. The list includes more than 140 that are identified as being noxious or invasive and banned from the state.