Kalamazoo is battling its second invasive plant threat of the 2025 season. Keep an eye out for this beautiful, yet dangerous plant spreading throughout Southwest Michigan as this purple bloom isn’t as sweet as it seems!
First the Vine, Now the Flower :
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Just weeks ago we were alerted to a new threat to Michigan wildlife lurking in our own backyard: Black Dog Strangling Vine. Reports claim Michigan’s official state botanist was visiting the Oakland/Winchell neighborhood and identified a dangerous and invasive vine:
the epicenter of the outbreak is at a yard slightly north of Chevy Chase on the west side of Oakland Drive. And then from there, it pops up in pretty much every other yard all the way to [Spruce Street] where I’ve identified it in the yard across the street from me. – Dropseed Native Gardens & Ecological Restoration
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