Collecting and Reporting Guidelines

Here Is What To Do When You Find a Suspected Target Plant

1. Collect Specimens or Take Pictures (See Reporting Instructions below). For plant experts, it may be enough to simply report the plant and its location. Please contact project staff.
   
   
   • Collect, press and dry a complete sample. See website instructions for making and using a plant press. This method is best because a plant expert can then examine the specimen (which might end up in the state herbarium, with your name listed as collector.
     
     

     Or --

   • Collect a fresh sample and mail right away. Enclose in a plastic bag with a moist paper towel.
     

     Or --

   • Take detailed photos (digital or film) and send them by mail or email.

   Regardless of method used, provide as much information as possible. Try to include flowers, seeds or fruit, buds, full leaves, stems roots and other distinctive features. In photos, place a coin, pencil or ruler for scale. If you can send a specimen and take photo, all the better.

2. Note Location
   (Provide one or more of the following)
   • Latitude & Longitude
   • UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) coordinates
   • County, Township, Range, Section, Part-section
   • Precise written site description, noting nearest city & road names, landmarks, local topography
   
   

   If possible, give the exact geographic location using a GPS (global positioning system) unit, topographic map, or the Wisconsin Gazetteer map book. If using a map, include a photocopy with a dot showing the plant's location. You can use TopoZone.com to find the precise location on a digital topographic map. Click the cursor on the exact collection site and note the coordinates (choose UTM or Latitude/Longitude).

3. Send Specimen (or Photo) & Report Form

   Use the Invasive Plant Report Form [PDF 123KB] on this website or create your own. Please provide this essential data:
   

   • Collection date & county
   • Your name, address, phone, email
   • Exact location (Latitude/Longitude or UTM preferred, or Township/Range/Section)
   • Plant name (common or scientific)
   • Land ownership (if known)
   • Population description (estimate number of plants, area covered)
   • Habitat type(s) where found (forest, field, prairie, wetland, open water)

   Mail specimen (or photo) with its data form to the Project Coordinator.

4. Help Control the Population

   Once these invaders are found and reported, containment and eradication is the next step. Depending on the time of year, control efforts will be needed immediately. See the control information provided for each species. In general, any hand-pulling, mowing or chemical treatment strategy should be timed or designed to prevent seed development and further plant dispersal.

   NOTE - Even if you are unable to attempt any control work, it is still important to let us know about ALL target plant discoveries - especially the species that have not been documented in Wisconsin or have limited ranges. We need to know where the invaders are -- so we can find someone to contain them and monitor the site.

Reporting Instructions

Check photos and descriptions on the website and brochure to help narrow the possibilities for plant identity. Be sure to include notes about site location & description, population size and control actions taken.

• Print out (or copy to a word-processing document) and complete the Invasive Plant Report Form [PDF 123KB]-- to report occurrences of suspected target invasive plants growing in Wisconsin or near state borders. (See list of Target Invasive Plants) Please use one form for each sample.
• Enclose form with your identification evidence: photographs, pressed plant specimens, or fresh specimens. (See below for guidelines on each method.)
• Send to the Wisconsin State Herbarium. (Use address on form.) Botanists will confirm each plant's identity and will tell you the name via email, letter or phone.

"ID Required" -- Evidence-Collecting Guidelines

Most of the Target Plants have look-alikes (both native and non-native) which can make identification difficult. At least one form of evidence will be required to establish plant identity. Use the following as a guide to the evidence preferred.

Guidelines for I.D. Evidence:

• Photographs. Use either film or a digital camera, and try to capture the maximum number of details. Focus on flowers, leaf shape, leaf & stem arrangement, and fruits. For a size scale, be sure to include a pencil, dollar bill, coin, or other object of a standard size. For giant hogweed, have a person stand near (but not touching) the plant. Send by email or US mail (address below).
• Fresh Specimens. Diagnostic samples of the plant -- especially flowers, fruits, stem section with leaves, or whole plants -- can be sent by US mail. Package with a moist paper towel in a sealed plastic bag. Keep cool until mailing and send as soon as possible.
• Pressed & Dried Specimens. To make pressed specimens, see How to Make Voucher Specimens of Plants. If you have a plant press or can make one, press plants providing as many plant structures as possible. Enclose the specimens -- each in a newspaper sleeve -- between two stiff cardboard sheets and send by US mail.
  
  
• Evidence Requirements/Preferences for
  specific target plants:
  1. Photos OK (try to take several, with a coin, pencil or other object of standard size included for scale):
     
     • Giant hogweed (leaves & stem closeup)
     • Japanese hops (leaves & leaves with twining stems)
     • Water chestnut (floating rosette)
     • Flowering rush (when in flower)
     • Teasel [both species] (flower heads, stem & leaf nodes, leaf undersides closeup)
     • Frog-bit (when in flower)
     • Swallow-wort [both species] (show flowers or twining stems with pods)
  2. Specimen preferred:
     
     • Hedge-parsley [both species] (flower umbels stem with leaves)
     • Wineberry (stem tops, especially new growth with prickly hairs)
     • Swallow-wort (flowers, leaves & vines)
  3. Specimen required:
     
     • Hydrilla (leafy stems, fresh or dried)
     • Stilt-grass (leaves with stem & flower spikes)
       
     • Flowering rush (if leaves only)
  4. BOTH photo and specimen
     For all plants: Having both forms of evidence is best.

Note: If you don't have a specimen or photo, but know the location of a target plant, fill out and send the Reporting Form and contact the project coordinator.

The Wisconsin Invasive Plants Reporting & Prevention Project is an Early Detection and Strategic Response initiative Co-sponsored by the Wisconsin DNR and the Wisconsin State Herbarium, with the cooperation of many organizations and individuals.

Send to:

Courtney LeClair
Invasive Plant Education, Early Detection, and Mapping Specialist
WI Department of Natural Resources
101 S. Webster St.
Madison, WI 53707-7921
Phone: (608) 267-7438