If you own wooded land in Minnesota or Wisconsin, there's a good chance buckthorn is already there — quietly taking over your understory. Common and glossy buckthorn are among the most destructive invasive plants in the Upper Midwest, and both are listed as Restricted Noxious Weeds in Minnesota (Minnesota DNR). Left alone, an infestation only gets worse. Forestry mulching is the fastest way to knock back a heavy stand — but doing it right takes a plan, and that's where we come in.

Why buckthorn is such a problem

Buckthorn was brought over from Europe as an ornamental hedge, and it found the Upper Midwest a little too hospitable. It has no natural predators or diseases here to keep it in check, and birds spread its seed widely after eating the berries (City of Maple Grove). The result is dense, shady thickets that crowd out native wildflowers and shrubs, prevent oak and maple seedlings from ever getting established, and steadily degrade the health of an entire woodland. Because it shades out the groundcover plants that hold soil in place, it can even contribute to erosion and runoff. And for wildlife, it's a poor trade — buckthorn replaces the diverse native browse and forage that deer, turkey, and songbirds actually depend on, offering little of real nutritional value in return.

Clearing it out — fast

Hand-cutting buckthorn across several acres is brutal, slow work. Forestry mulching changes the math entirely: we can grind through a dense thicket in a fraction of the time, processing the brush in place and leaving the ground open and walkable. That alone is a dramatic transformation. The mulched material is left on-site to decompose, which also aligns with state guidance — the Minnesota Department of Agriculture recommends letting cut buckthorn decay in place rather than hauling it off, since moving chipped material from fruiting plants can actually spread the seed to new areas (City of Chanhassen).

The part most people miss: cutting alone won't kill it

Here's the honest truth that separates a real solution from a temporary one. Buckthorn resprouts aggressively from cut stumps — cut it without follow-up treatment and it comes back thicker, with multiple suckering shoots from each stump (Minnesota DNR). On top of that, removing the canopy floods the ground with light and nutrients that the buckthorn seed bank — viable for several years — is perfectly poised to exploit, often re-invading faster than native plants can return (University of Minnesota).

That's why effective buckthorn control is a process, not a one-time event. The proven approach pairs mechanical removal with treatment of the cut stumps and a follow-up plan to catch the seedlings that emerge over the next couple of seasons (Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources). We'll be straight with you about what your site needs and lay out a realistic plan to actually win the fight — not just mow it down and watch it grow back.

Restoring what belongs

The goal isn't bare ground — it's a healthier woodland. Once the buckthorn is knocked back, the sunlight reaching the forest floor becomes an opportunity. With the right follow-up and, where it makes sense, replanting or encouraging desirable native species, that newly opened ground can fill in with the trees, shrubs, and forbs that build real habitat value — better browse for deer, better cover and food for turkey and songbirds, and a forest that can finally regenerate itself.

At Waymaker Land & Habitat, invasive removal is never just about clearing — it's about restoring your land to what it was meant to be. From first step to first light, we'll help you reclaim your woods and give the native habitat room to come back.

Fighting buckthorn on your property? Let's build a plan to win.

Sources

• Minnesota DNR — Buckthorn Management / Control: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialplants/woody/buckthorn/control.html

• Minnesota DNR — Removing Buckthorn (resprouting & stump treatment): https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/schoolforest/buckthorn-removal.html

• University of Minnesota — Managing Invasive Buckthorn (seed bank & re-invasion): https://conservancy.umn.edu/items/77b6d330-a044-4cbb-aed2-9665ce36cac3

• Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources — Common and Glossy Buckthorn Control: https://bwsr.state.mn.us/invasive-species-control-common-and-glossy-buckthorn-control

• City of Chanhassen, MN — Buckthorn & Invasive Plants (disposal guidance): https://www.chanhassenmn.gov/departments/community-development/natural-resources/invasive-species-management-education/buckthorn-invasive-plants

• City of Maple Grove, MN — Buckthorn (spread & impacts): https://www.maplegrovemn.gov/795/Buckthorn