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Defenders offer weed wrench rentals

Having trouble getting rid of an invasive plant such as buckthorn?

The weed wrench is a manually operated, all-steel tool made to remove any woody plant by uprooting. Designed and manufactured by a restoration worker in California, the weed wrench is a great tool to use for trunk diameters up to two inches, and the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County has two sizes available to rent for a nominal fee.

This is your environmentally friendly and relatively simple way of ridding your yard of buckthorn.

For Defenders' members, a donation for weekly rental, plus $50 refundable deposit.

For nonmembers, there is a $25 per week fee, plus $150 refundable deposit.

Buckthorn was introduced from Europe as an ornamental, and now forms dense stands that dominate ecosystems and displace native species.

Common buckthorn is a shrub or small tree that can grow to 22 feet in height and have a trunk up to 10 inches wide. Leaves are broadly oval, rounded or pointed at the tip, with 3-4 pairs of upcurved veins and have jagged, toothed margins. Leaves appear dark, glossy green on the upper surface and stay green late into fall after most other deciduous leaves have fallen. The bark is gray to brown, rough textured when mature and may be confused with that of plum trees in the genus Prunus. Twigs are often tipped with a spine. In spring, dense clusters of 2 to 6, yellow-green, 4-petaled flowers emerge from stems near the bases of leaf stalks. Small black fruits about a quarter-inch in cross-section and containing 3-4 seeds form in the fall.

The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County is a citizen organization dedicated to the preservation and improvement of the environment. The group provides community residents with educational programs and volunteer action on pollution prevention, sustainable land use and energy and natural resource conservation. Donations are encouraged and are tax-deductible as charitable contributions. For more information, visit www.mcdef.org or call (815) 338-0393.

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