Beach Vitex Eradication in NC

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!