Herbicide Trials for Management of Flowering Rush in Minnesota

Madsen, J. D., Sartain, B. T., & Turnage, G. (2014). Herbicide Trials for Management of Flowering Rush in Minnesota. Weed Science Society of America 54th Annual Meeting. Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus L.) is a relatively new invasive plant to North America, first found in the 1970’s. While a nuisance problem for Detroit Lakes over four decades, it is little-known elsewhere. Starting from a research program in 2010 to understand the biology and ecology of flowering rush and experiment with management techniques, in 2012 we were able to demonstrate an operational-scale program of management, achieving over 90% reduction in nuisance growth and reducing rhizome buds by 80%. Because flowering rush is a perennial, the problem is not solved by one year of treatment, but we do have program that is effective at both reducing nuisance growth and reducing the ability of flowering rush to regrow the following year. Further research and monitoring will safeguard the diversity of native plant growth and fish habitat, and provide other alternatives for management in the future.