How To Use In the Weeds: A Guide for Maintaining Vegetation in Stormwater Treatment Systems in RI

This guide is split into four categories: Trees, Shrubs, Herbaceous/Grasses, and Vines. Under each category the plants are alphabetized by the common names that they share. To find “Common Barberry” and “Japanese Barberry” look for the alphabetic placement of “Barberry.”

The label “Invasive” or “Native and weedy” may help you to select a method control or removal.

It is easiest to control invasive species through frequent inspection and weeding before they get firmly established, so many of the photos in this guide show seedlings and young plants. Other photos were chosen to emphasize distinctive plant features, such as large flowers, fruits, seedpods, leaf shape, and different bark textures.

Read the text descriptions for more information on key traits that will aid identification in the field. For help with botanical terms you can always click the Glossary link found on each page of this guide.

For information on aquatic invasive species, visit the RI DEM Aquatic Invasive Plants page or see the Freshwater Aquatic Invasive Species in Rhode Island PDF