Todd C. Bryant, B.S. M.S. Biology

I have owned my 60-acre property for about 25 years and have always been concerned about the invasive plant species, particularly the Oriental bittersweet and multiflora rose that seemed to have completely taken over my field, tree line borders, and some of my forest plots. We have a few acres fenced off for paddock for horses and the bittersweet had essentially covered the entire forest floor. A uniform monoculture of bright green leaves was all that we could see. I was worried about the damage to my trees these invasive plants were causing, not to mention the utter lack of native shrubs and typical forest understory. For years, I continually cut and pulled and tried digging out the root systems. This system of management only served to double the plants resilience and they continued to grow and encroached and choked out even more of the native plant species and trees on my property. 

In consultation with several foresters it was strongly suggested that I employ an invasive species management specialist. It was essential to eradicate these invasives from my property or else they would continue to cause a decrease in the native species of shrub and potentially make their way throughout my entire forest.  In consultation with Matt Verson, he advised an herbicide application to help control the spread and reduce the invasive species population. I have always been environmentally conscientious and I was very hesitant about using chemicals, but after so many years of fruitless labor pulling and cutting, it was clear that method was a waste of time. Matt explained how the herbicide worked, getting into the stems and root systems of the bittersweet. He laid out a plan to carefully target only the invasives and we agreed to the plan. Matt is quite expert at plant identification and uses a very methodical approach when spraying. He was careful about not hitting native plants and documented the specific areas he sprayed. Within a few weeks after the initial attack, the results were dramatically outlined by the dead bittersweet. Later that fall, it was clear that bittersweet problem was significantly reduced and the native species that had been choked out were now flourishing nicely. Matt advised that continual vigilance and minor spraying would be necessary for the next few seasons. His work had essentially changed my field and forest landscape so dramatically I wished I had done this years ago. Matt Verson is a consummate professional who takes his trade very seriously. The outcome of his work is proof of that. 

Todd C. Bryant, B.S. M.S. Biology
Leeds, MA 

Ginger Goldsbury

George Colt

My wife and I bought our two-acre property twenty-five years ago. It had a swimming pool surrounded on three sides by a lovely floral garden border that the owners told me they spent some twenty hours a week taking care of. Long story short: I did not have the time nor the expertise to give the garden the care it needed, and over the years it became a literal jungle of bittersweet, wild roses, and a multitude of other invasive plants whose names I did not know. I gave up on trying to dig up and pull out the plants (it would have taken me months) so at the end of each summer I’d spend a strenuous week hacking it down as best I could—only to have it grow twice as fast and thick the next spring. It was like something from a horror movie: The Bittersweet That Ate My Swimming Pool. 

I consulted a wise and wonderful landscape architect who suggested that instead of trying to carve a garden out of the mess I turn the area into easy-to-mow-and-maintain grass. I literally sighed with relief. But how to do it? She said she knew just the person to take on the project: Matt Verson, an invasive species management specialist. She had worked with him before and recommended him highly. In our consultation, Matt knew the names of all the invasives, how they grew, and how he could get rid of them. He explained how their root systems worked, and that my annual chopping everything down near the root did not keep the roots from growing underground and encouraging even more growth the next year, so that my jungle was growing exponentially. He recommended careful applications of herbicide that would get into the root systems and kill the plants I didn’t want, while leaving alone the few plants I did want to preserve. Eventually, the plants will be reduced to mulch and I will be able to plant grass. I happily signed on. 

Matt and his crew have made a meticulous first application. The riot of invasive growth has all but disappeared and been miraculously transformed into mulch. Matt will make a second application next fall, but I can see that we are well on our way. I am so glad to have found Matt! He is exceptionally  knowledgeable and yet explains everything carefully and patiently, in terms even a rank layman like myself can understand. He is prompt, shows up when he says he will, and has kept me informed every step of the way. Matt has been a miracle worker! 

George Colt

Whately, MA. 

September 17, 2025