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Black Swallow Wort
Black Swallow Wort
Native Origin: France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain; it is believed to have arrived to North America as a
horticultural plant.
Habitat: It is found in a wide range of habitats from dry and sunny to shaded and moist,
from shallow soils on limestone bedrock to deep well-drained silt-loam soils, from wooded ravines and talus
(sloping mass of rock fragments) to alluvial woods, pastures and grasslands. Coastal and roadside infestations
are common, indicating a probable tolerance of alkaline soils and a possible preference for calcareous soils. It
is found in disturbed areas such as highway, rail, utility and other transportation corridors, limestone quarries,
abandoned pastures and old fields.
• Manual- mowing or hand pulling pods as they are forming minimizes seed production; dig out isolated
plants and dispose properly
• Chemical- It can be effectively controlled using any of several readily available general use herbicides such
as glyphosate in late summer to early fall. Repeat applications if necessary. Follow label and state
requirements.
Produced by the USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Staff, Newtown Square, PA. WOW 06-06-05
Invasive Plants website: http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/invasive_plants