An Orillia woman wants the city to take action against a plant that can pose a threat to trees in town.
Penny Kerr regularly walks the Lightfoot Trail and is raising concerns about the presence of wild grape vine.
“I’ve noticed that they have started taking over the canopy of the Lightfoot Trail. It’s getting really bad,” she said.
She often walks the section of the trail between Fittons and Hughes roads and said that area is “full of these vines.”
“We’ve got these trails and all these lovely places to walk, but they’re not going to be here for long if nothing is done,” she said.
In an email to OrilliaMatters, parks supervisor Stan Cleaveley said the city was “not aware of any wild grape vine within the area of the Lightfoot Trail.”
He noted the invasive dog-strangling vine has been seen in parts of the city.
“In accordance with the Ontario government’s guidance document, this is a widespread invasive species with two known methods of removal: spray herbicide or cut each vine at root level, dry the plant, collect seeds and burn,” he said.
“The Ontario invasive species document states the vine will not harm mature trees that are established, only small saplings. Although the city is aware of the issue, we do not have the resources to conduct such a project and this would need to take place both on public and private property to remove all invasive species to be effective.”
He also said the city does not use herbicides, as per one of its bylaws, due to environmental effects.
Bob Bowles, an Orillia naturalist, said both wild grape vine and dog-strangling vine can be found along the Lightfoot Trail.
“They just continue to get bigger and bigger every year,” he said of the wild grape vines. “I’d hate to see elm and maple trees (negatively affected) along the trail.”
While wild grape vine is a native, not invasive, species, it can still cause harm to trees, he said. They can climb the tops of trees and starve them of sunlight.
Cleaveley said the city “will review the vines in question to determine whether this is the wild grape vine or the invasive dog-strangling vine and visually determine its impacts.”
