Porcelain Berry Management at Pinchot Sycamore Tree Park Simsbury

In May, LFSWS supported a volunteer Porcelain Berry removal workday at the Pinchot Sycamore Tree Park. Porcelain Berry is a deciduous, woody climbing vine in the Grape family. The bright green leaves are alternate, with three to five lobes. This vine is similar in shape to our native grape species, with bright berries in hues ranging from sky blue to light pink. FRWA staff, Simsbury Land Trust members, and volunteers gathered at the park to remove Porcelain Berry, as well as other invasives. Multiple large, dense clusters of Porcelain Berry vines were growing in the perimeter of the park, attaching themselves to established native trees to obtain more sunlight. The team severed each vine near its base and applied chemical herbicide to each plant using a dauber. Once absorbed by the plants’ vascular system, the herbicide treatment kills the remaining plant down to its roots, ensuring that it cannot regrow. The group also cleared Mugwort, Bittersweet, and Barberry from the hillside, protecting the Pinchot Sycamore from encroaching invasives.