Gardeners of Simsbury: Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station & Invasive Plant Species

This talk gives a broad, balanced overview of the invasive plant issue. Starting with definitions, we will go on to legislative updates. We will then go into the origins, identifying characteristics and life cycles of some species commonly encountered in Connecticut.  Herbarium specimens, or live samples when possible, are used to make this a hands-on event.

Rose Hiskes works as a diagnostician and horticulturist at The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Valley Laboratory, in Windsor, CT. Rose has a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in plant science from the University of Connecticut. She has worked in the green industry for over 30 years. Some of her horticultural interests are insects, flower gardening and invasive plants. She is a volunteer with the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group.