Isn’t that Buckthorn? If so, it is an invasive species that changes the soil around it to deter native plants. It is taking over Gatineau Park! Google it to learn how to deal with it.
I hope it’s not! Doesn’t buckthorn have thorns? There are several of these shrubs in front of the pond across from P8.
Joan Taillefer
August 22, 2024 07:47
No, Buckthorn doesn’t have thorns. A daughter-in-law identified it last fall with a plant-identification app on her phone We’ve had one shrub at our cottage for a good 60 years and thought it was lovely at the time as it attracted Grosbeaks in the fall. More recently it has started to spread and now there are hundreds of them taking over our property. They have to be cut down, leaving about a 6″ stem, which is then bagged in black plastic for a year!
I hope it’s not! Doesn’t buckthorn have thorns? There are several of these shrubs in front of the pond across from P8.
No, Buckthorn doesn’t have thorns. A daughter-in-law identified it last fall with a plant-identification app on her phone We’ve had one shrub at our cottage for a good 60 years and thought it was lovely at the time as it attracted Grosbeaks in the fall. More recently it has started to spread and now there are hundreds of them taking over our property. They have to be cut down, leaving about a 6″ stem, which is then bagged in black plastic for a year!
I became aware of invasive Buckthorn a few years ago, when we noticed this tree in the Wakefield area. One of the features of Buckthorn is that it stands alone and deters other trees from growing near it. The one at Wakefield did have small thorns. Now I want to go back and check the trees again at P8! https://musicianonskis.ca/blog/2019/03/12/march-12-2019/ and a closer shot at https://musicianonskis.ca/blog/2019/03/12/march-12-2019-3/
I first discovered Buckthorn in the Wakefield area of the park several years ago and that one did have thorns that we had to work around. . To this day the park has done nothing to remove it. Now I’m curious to go back to P8 and check out the tree again. I had just figured it was a choke cherry. https://musicianonskis.ca/blog/2019/03/12/march-12-2019-3/ and https://musicianonskis.ca/blog/2019/03/12/march-12-2019/