Running bamboo (Phyllostachys sp.) is an invasive plant, often planted to provide a privacy screen or on property lines. Bamboo may be planted too close to a property line and invade by runners (rhizomes) and underground stems. Running bamboo will spread three to five feet per year, sometimes further. Clumping bamboo species do not have runners. Effective July 1, 2017, residents who plant bamboo in the ground must obtain a waiver from the City of Newark. Any bamboo planted after July 1 must be at least 20 feet from any property line, while residents with existing bamboo must continue to maintain it in its current location. There was a similar ordinance in Dover, DE in 2012. 
See the recent article for more info: http://www.newarkpostonline.com/news/article_60736ae6-7e8e-5b06-94cd-710521066725.html
NFG 7/1/2017
Tag: invasive plants
Invasive Flowering Pear
BRADFORD PEAR trees are blooming now in Mid-Atlantic 
landscapes. Also called callery pear, with some cultivars such as Cleveland Select, the flowering pear trees are native to China. Weak in branch structure, these V-shaped trees usually split or lose branches after 15 to 20 years of growth. Thought to be sterile and not produce fruit (just flowers) callery pears do cross pollinate with other pear trees in the landscape, and some do produce fruit. The fruit are small and inedible, but are eaten and carried by birds, ultimately seeding in areas such as roadside ditches and easements. Roadsides are populated with these invasive, volunteer flowering pears, more numerous over time, and some have thorns. Many other small flowering trees are much more suitable for planting. Consider native trees, such as fringe tree, serviceberry, or redbud. Callery pear, Bradford pear, or any of the selections from those, are not good options for purchase or planting. See the Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas and the associated web site of the National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/pyca.htm
April 6, 2017 NFG
Bradford Pear – Invasive Plant
Bradford pear trees are blooming now in Mid-Atlantic landscapes. Also called callery pear, with some selected cultivars such as Cleveland Select, the flowering pear trees native to China are weak in branch structure. These V-shaped trees usually split or lose branches after 15 to 20 years of growth. Thought to be sterile and not produce fruit (just flowers) the callery pears cross pollinate with other pear trees in the landscape, and some do produce fruit. The fruit are small and inedible, but are eaten and carried by birds, ultimately settling and seeding in areas such as roadside ditches and easements. Roadsides are populated with many volunteer flowering pears, more numerous and invasive over time. Some have thorns. There are many other small flowering trees that are more suitable for planting. Consider native trees, such as fringe tree, serviceberry, or redbud. Callery pear, Bradford pear, or any of the selections from those, are not good options. See the Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas and the associated web site of the National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/pyca.htm
NFG 3/30/16
Mulberry Weed: a New Invasive Plant in Delaware
Mulberry Weed (Fatoua villosa)
Description and Geographic Distribution
Mulberry Weed or hairy crabweed (Fatoua villosa) (Thunberg) Nakai is an invasive exotic Asian species from the Mulberry family (Moraceae). First reported in Louisiana in 1964 by J.W. Thieret and possibly present as much as twenty years earlier, it has since spread to much of the Eastern United States, appearing throughout the Southern states and as far north as Michigan and Delaware. In Delaware, it is a recent arrival, with specimens reported in 2013. It is also present on the West Coast, with documented occurrences in Washington and California. Appearing much like a nettle (Urticaceae), it is an herbaceous erect annual. It is characterized by papery, heart-shaped, alternate leaves. The plant has densely pubescent (hairy) stems. The flowers are dense, light green cymes (clusters) with no true petals, and seeds that are forcibly expelled. It flowers in the mid-summer and fall.
Much of the spread of Fatuoa villosa can be attributed to its frequent appearance in horticultural material and nursery stock. It is also likely to spread through purchased top soil that contains its abundantly produced and explosively projected seeds. It favors disturbed areas and is an especially problematic weed in agricultural fields, greenhouses and gardens.
Control
Suspected mulberry weed should be removed from garden beds or pots and be discarded in the trash, not composted nearby. The plant produces abundant numbers of seeds, so it should be treated with herbicide or rogued out before it sets seed. A two to three inch layer of mulch can prevent most seed germination, as can pre-emergent herbicides. Post-emergent herbicides would also be effective. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by University of Delaware Cooperative Extension.
