Boxelder

Box elder – is very active and mobile, has a high growth rate and is resistant to air pollution. It turned out that its fallen leaves are so corrosive that they displace oak groves. It settles in the vicinity of cities and towns, initially in disturbed areas, but soon penetrates into natural communities. The dispersal process is relatively fast, as it enters the fruiting stage at the age of 6-7 years, and its generation turnover is faster than that of other tree species.

In urban conditions, it is a malicious woody weed. The pollen of male box elder specimens is a strong allergen; during the spring flowering period, the wind carries it over long distances, and its presence in the air causes pollinosis (a disease called "hay fever") in people. Scientists know that with good wind, maple seeds, resembling small helicopters in flight, can fly more than a kilometer away from their parent tree. According to research, it is a carcinogen. The leaves emit an unpleasant odor when rubbed.

Due to the fact that the box elder is a woody plant, the strategy for combating it has its own peculiarities. Since 2016, legislation has established a simplified procedure for the removal of this invasive woody plant. Removal is carried out based on an act confirming the presence of growing sites of plants belonging to species whose distribution and numbers are subject to regulation.