There are many websites about how to plan to prevent damage to trees in winter snow or ice storms. See here, for example.  These articles tell one how to pick strong trees that won’t be as prone to winter breakage and how to wrap trees or shrubs to try to protect these plants from damage.
But no one expected such a harsh winter as we are having this year and no one predicted the amount of snow. When I checked the Farmer’s Almanac in 2010, they predicted a rather normal winter. They have an updated version if you want to see what they think will happen for the rest of the winter. See here. So at this stage of winter, no one can really tell you what damage your shrubs and trees will suffer because of the amount of snow we have had. We will all have to wait to see how our plants survive.
In the last two posts (here and here) TheGardenLady explained the problem with invasive plants and how they came to the United States respectively. In this post TheGardenLady will give a list of 10 of the invasive trees and shrubs in great parts of the US:
Tree of Heaven - Ailanthus altissima by maxi millipede
1. Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus altissima – This might be the tree in the fiction, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”
Japanese barnberry (Berberis thunbergii) by copepodo (on flickr)
2. Japanese Barbery, Berberis thunbergii – landscapers love to sell this and plant this in your yard- be warned.
oriental bittersweet by ophis
3. Asiatic Bittersweet, Celastrus orbiculatus – pretty in wreaths but don’t use it because when the berries spread, you are spreading this invasive.
Eleagnus umbellata_fruit.jpg by meghan.mcginty
4. Autumn Olive, Eleagnus umbellata – smells pretty, but what a nuisance.
Japanese Knotweed a real problem plant by arrowlakelass
5. Japanese knotweed, Polygonum cuspidatum – brought in as an ornament for screening and soil erosion. Horrible.
brwyn, cyrs - Phragmites australis by Gwylan
6. Common Reed, Phragmites australis – This one may have come accidentally aboard a ship. It is now invasive in all but one state and is clogging up waterways.
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata, è›‡è‘¡è„ sheputao, Porcelain-berry by pancrat
7. Porcelain berry, Ampelopsis brevipedunculata – This plant is still sold by nurseries. Don’t buy it especially if you live in the eastern half of the US.
Lonicera japonica - Japanese Honeysuckle by mondomuse
8. Japanese Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica, Tartarian Honeysuckle Lonicera tatarica and Amur Honeysuckle Lonicera maackii – 3 types of honeysuckle have become invasive.
Pueraria montana var. lobata - Kudzu by johnstonephotos
9. Kudzu Vine, Pueraria montana var. lobata – This vine was brought to this country as an ornamental plant and as a forage crop and became so invasive- it has covered have the country.
Infiorescenza dell' Acer platanoides.....Norway maple flowers by Sante.boschianpest
10. Norway Maple, Acer platanoides – This handsome tree was used for
landscaping. DON’T plant it. Nothing can grow under It.
