Phragmites australis (common reed), is an aggressive invasive plant that is invading the Great Lakes and is dominant in Essex County wetlands and other habitats. Club President Karen Alexander has been working with phragmites in Ontario since 2011.

Karen is co-founder of the Ontario Phragmites Working Group (OPWG) and served as co-chair of the OPWG from 2015 to 2021. She will share her knowledge about this plant, how it arrived to the Great Lakes, why it became so pervasive on the landscape and present a number of control options that have been developed in Ontario that are leading to phragmites-free shorelines and communities.

This presentation will draw on the expertise of the Invasive Phragmites Control Centre, the Invasive Species Centre, and the Ontario Phragmites Working Group.