Eastern Prom Invasive Removal

The Eastern Prom has for years been inundated with expanding forests of Japanese knotweed. Knotweed is an invasive plant native to eastern Asia and was introduced to North America as a horticultural plant in the late 19th century. It can thrive in a wide range of habitats and forms dense thickets of bamboo-like vegetation that aggressively outcompetes native plants.

Efforts to curtail knotweed have been unsuccessful to date; any weeding efforts have resulted in re-established thickets. In response, the Portland Parks Conservancy and the City of Portland, with support from Maine Audubon, the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization, and the Friends of the Eastern Promenade, are organizing a multi-season, volunteer-driven initiative to painstakingly remove knotweed, replace weeded areas with native trees and shrubs, and engage in regular monitoring to address resprouting.  

On the first and third Tuesday of every month through October, from 4 to 6pm, the Conservancy will be hosting volunteer events to rid the Eastern Prom of knotweed. Our kick-off event will be on Tuesday, July 1. We’ll have some snacks and refreshments on hand and will be assisted by City staff and Andrew Tufts from Maine Audubon’s Bringing Nature Home program. 

If you would like to join us, please RSVP so we can prepare accordingly. Hope to see you there!

Moving forward, you can find event updates on the Conservancy’s online calendar.