Treating Beach Vitex (Vitex rotundifolia) in North Carolina
Vitex rotundifolia is native to the Pacific rim Was brought to the US from Korea in the 1980 s by J.C. Raulston Promoted as a good plant for dune stabilization & erosion control
Widely planted after Hurricane Hugo in 1989 By mid 1990 s ACE dune specialists noticed invasive quality of this species In 2003 the SC Beach Vitex Task Force was formed In August 2005 NC became part of the Carolinas Beach Vitex Task Force
The Root of the Problem:
Fibrous roots of Sea oats
Shallow runner roots of BV Woody roots of BV
And More Scary Pictures
One Season s Growth (2008), about 17
Sea Turtle Nest laid on July 22, 2006 in SC
Same Nest on August 15, 2006
Vitex roots were growing into nest when eggs were relocated.
Vitex on Wrightsville Beach
Beach Vitex Task Force Partners (NC) NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, Pat McNeese NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, Gwendy Womble NC Aquarium at Roanoke Island, Kathy Mitchell NC Aquarium at Ft. Fisher, Melanie Doyle NC Cooperative Extension, Susan Ruiz Evans NC Cooperative Extension, Debbie Kelso NC Division of Coastal Management, Heather Coats NC Department of Agriculture, Rick Iverson NC Department of Agriculture, David Pearce NC Division of Marine Fisheries, Jim Fransisconi NC Coastal Reserve Program, Hope Sutton NC Center for Advancement of Teaching, Nancy Leach UNC Wilmington, Dept. Marine Science, Amanda Southwood University of Charleston, Courtney Murren University of Charleston, Albert Plan University of Georgia Athens, Chuck Bargeron USFWS, Dale Suiter USGS, Randy Westbrooks (ret) Coastal Land Trust, Jessica Blake NC State University, Crop Science, Rob Richardson NC Botanical Garden, Mike Kunz NC State Parks NC Department of Transportation, Pat Mansfield NC Natural Heritage Program, Misty Buchanan Bald Head Island Conservancy NC Coastal Audubon Coastal Transplants, Steve Mercer Aqua Turf, Jim Gallagher BASF, William Strickland Helena Chemical Co., Paul Pridgen National Park Service, Cape Lookout National Seashore Corolla, Jason Litteral Duck, Sandy Cady Southern Shores, Charlie Read Kitty Hawk, Willie Midgett Kill Devil Hills, Dee Seegars Nags Head, Ralph Barile Atlantic Beach, Mark Schulze Pine Knoll Shores, Chris Jones Emerald Isle, Frank Rush Carteret County Beach Preservation, Rudy Rudolph North Topsail Beach, Deborah Hill Surf City, Lydia King Topsail Beach, Charles Derrick Figure Eight Island, David Kellam Wrightsville Beach, Evan Morigerato Carolina Beach, Tim Owens, John Nelms, Bill Raymond Bald Head Island, Maureen DeWire Caswell Beach, Jim Carter Oak Island, Gene Kudges Holden Beach, David Hewett Ocean Isle Beach, Larry Sellars
NC B.V. Task Force Partners To date, have 50+ partners 16 coastal communities 6 Divisions within DENR The NC DOT, NC DA&CS Five university affiliates Three federal agencies Three conservation organizations (NGOs)
The Grant November 2007, the NC BVTF was awarded a grant from the US Fish & Wildlife Foundation 5 year grant for eradication and education work in NC ending 2012 Requires a match from recipients, in kind work included Managed through the Raleigh USFWS Field Office
Vitex Look-Alikes Ipomoea pes-caprae Waties Island, July 2008
Silver-leaf Croton (Croton punctatus)
Seashore Elder (Iva imbricata)
Iva Vitex
How We Treat It
Kingston Plantation, SC 1.6 acres of vitex 970 feet of beach Results: 264.5 man hours to inject the vitex (on-site time only) 263.5 square feet of vitex injected per man-hour 4.5 gallons of Habitat used diluted to 18% Habitat 15,500 square feet of vitex injected per gallon of Habitat
Concerns about Waterway Locations Mann s Harbor, west end of US 64 on Roanoke Sound Wilmington, private property, growing over Greenville Sound & ICW
Concerns about Undeveloped Islands Masonboro Island, New Hanover County
Vitex on Masonboro Island
Mallard St., 2005
Mallard St., 2008, Vitex class
Mallard St., 2012
Healthy Beach Dunes
The End Thank You!