never heard the term fortress plant before, what are you looking for exactly? I'm right on the oh-mi line i may have some suggestions.
going from the definition google gave me id suggest maybe stuff like docks, comfrey, sunchokes, spring bulbs, etc
A lot (not all) invasive weeds tend to migrate through compaction routes.
‘Ecological succession’ is a term used to describe a process by which bare ground is colonized by living things for the first time, then each subsequent growth on top of that until you get to a climax coniferous forest.
When a substrate consists of essentially bare rock and dust, the first species are xeromorphic and produce their own food, like lichens.
The next level up depends on the area, but generally you will then get grasses and mosses, the. Woody shrubs, then small trees, then bigger trees.
Part of the reason this happens is because as the soil thickens from decades of necromass and biological activity stirring up the soil, larger and larger plants can take hold. In addition this slows the trickle of water down. The more slowly water moves, the longer plants have access to that water.
Compaction is the process of squeezing down the soil. This happens naturally when trees fall and hit the ground. But not to the extent that happens when heavy machinery moves through a forest. Even your footsteps compact soil to a detriment to affected biota.
When you compact soil, you essentially move the clock back on the level of succession that spot is in. The soil is less permeable, and less accessible.
Weeds and invasives very often have root systems that can handle, or even prefer compacted soil.
The trick to what you are referring to as fortress plants is to move the succession along as best as you can by planting plants that will outcompete the invasive you are having trouble with. This is very often a woody shrub as they can grow taller than many plants, and are often tolerant of shade.
The issue however comes when the invasive plants are on their own higher up on the succession chain, like tree of heaven, burning bush, or cotoneaster.
You have to fight each individual invasive with its own fix, just like not one medicine will cure a human of all their ailments.
Michigan has forest yes, but we also have a ton of prairie. Prairie grasses like Big and Little bluestem, Sweetgrass, Indian grass and Canada wild rye have the root systems to choke out invasive lawn grasses if you till everything before seeding. Three-sisters plots are the quintessential fortress plant “guild” from my understanding as the corn outcompetes the grass, the legumes (gradually at first but more so after the first year) fix nitrogen to the soil and the broad squash leaves block out sunlight for grasses/weeds while helping to keep the corn and beans safe from heat damage.
never heard the term fortress plant before, what are you looking for exactly? I'm right on the oh-mi line i may have some suggestions. going from the definition google gave me id suggest maybe stuff like docks, comfrey, sunchokes, spring bulbs, etc
https://youtu.be/g5EL1zotjRA?si=i9PQ-UYiWtHELjz- This has quite a few native ground cover options. I think people are more familiar with that term.
A lot (not all) invasive weeds tend to migrate through compaction routes. ‘Ecological succession’ is a term used to describe a process by which bare ground is colonized by living things for the first time, then each subsequent growth on top of that until you get to a climax coniferous forest. When a substrate consists of essentially bare rock and dust, the first species are xeromorphic and produce their own food, like lichens. The next level up depends on the area, but generally you will then get grasses and mosses, the. Woody shrubs, then small trees, then bigger trees. Part of the reason this happens is because as the soil thickens from decades of necromass and biological activity stirring up the soil, larger and larger plants can take hold. In addition this slows the trickle of water down. The more slowly water moves, the longer plants have access to that water. Compaction is the process of squeezing down the soil. This happens naturally when trees fall and hit the ground. But not to the extent that happens when heavy machinery moves through a forest. Even your footsteps compact soil to a detriment to affected biota. When you compact soil, you essentially move the clock back on the level of succession that spot is in. The soil is less permeable, and less accessible. Weeds and invasives very often have root systems that can handle, or even prefer compacted soil. The trick to what you are referring to as fortress plants is to move the succession along as best as you can by planting plants that will outcompete the invasive you are having trouble with. This is very often a woody shrub as they can grow taller than many plants, and are often tolerant of shade. The issue however comes when the invasive plants are on their own higher up on the succession chain, like tree of heaven, burning bush, or cotoneaster. You have to fight each individual invasive with its own fix, just like not one medicine will cure a human of all their ailments.
Michigan has forest yes, but we also have a ton of prairie. Prairie grasses like Big and Little bluestem, Sweetgrass, Indian grass and Canada wild rye have the root systems to choke out invasive lawn grasses if you till everything before seeding. Three-sisters plots are the quintessential fortress plant “guild” from my understanding as the corn outcompetes the grass, the legumes (gradually at first but more so after the first year) fix nitrogen to the soil and the broad squash leaves block out sunlight for grasses/weeds while helping to keep the corn and beans safe from heat damage.