Until recently, I was unaware that the eastern hemlock trees were under such an all out attack, and now I am on a mission to inform more people and what they can do to help combat this horrible, devastating problem. These trees are under an ever increasing threat from the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae), an invasive insect. This invasive insect can completely decimate a hemlock within 3-6 years after infestation.

Unfortunately, large-scale plantings of autumn olive on these mine lands, with extremely low plant diversity on top of low levels of nitrogen in the soil, allowed autumn olive to grow quickly. Its invasion dominates the landscape by suppressing native regrowth. In addition, its high mast production allowed it to spread rapidly, with seeds being spread by animals that feed on the shrub’s berries.