Red Maple and Vibernum? Yes, But Please Don't Plant Bamboo!

The Township Environmental Commission is in the process of updating its list of trees, shrubs and other plants recommended for Basking Ridge properties.

The commission wants a list consistent with the trees and shrubs on Township Shade Tree Commission's list of advised plantings, said Joseph Speeney, chairman of the Environmental Commission. The Environmental Commission's revised list also will focus on what so-called "invasive species" to avoid planting, Speeney said.

"We want to encourage that native species be planted," Speeney said. He said that native plants adapt more readily to the local environment and are likely to need less water and pesticides to thrive.

Some property owners and developers have long planted imported shrubs and trees, which do not naturally grow in this area of New Jersey, he said. Some of those invasive species of plants that have become common in this part of the state include Japanese barberry, Autumn olive, Multiflora rose and bamboo, Speeney said.

Bamboo is particularly notorious for spreading quickly to crowd out native plants, environmentalists say.

The Environmental Commission and Shade Tree Commission already have lists of advisable plantings on their pages on the township's website.

Some trees already recommended by both commissions include red maples and flowering dogwoods. 

The list is aimed at residents or developers who are installing plants on newly developed properties or who are replacing trees or shrubs on properties that are already developed, he said.

The updated list is likely to be placed on the website after the Environmental Commission's next scheduled meeting on Oct. 11, Speeney said.

The Shade Tree Commission already has reviewed the Environmental Commission's new list, and suggested some additions, Speeney and other commission members said at the group's meeting on Monday. Commission members agreed at that time that the new list should be reviewed by a tree expert before it is placed online. 

The Shade Tree Commission list focuses on advisable shade trees. The Environmental Commission already has a list that also suggests plants such as the Christmas Fern and switchgrass as being native to Basking Ridge. The list includes much more than trees, Sweeney said.

The Environmental Commission's updated list will be even more comprehensive, he said.