Norway maple branch (Photo provided)

As autumn wanes and winter arrives, the seasonal change provides landowners and managers with some reprieve from invading plants and animals. Ice and snow pack may limit biological activity but deep in the water invasive aquatic plants over-winter until ice-out. In the ground the roots of terrestrial perennials lay in waiting for the spring thaw. Already burrowed into their living hibernacula, forest pests remain still until the flush of spring and then begin their exit strategy. At least one invasive, however, is still on the scene for a few more weeks. While many native trees have dropped their leaves, invasive trees, such as Norway maple (Acer platanoides), tend to sprout earlier than their native counterparts and hang on to their leaves later. Norway maple leaves are the last to change color in the fall; they remain green until October then turn bright yellow. Late fall is the best time to survey for Norway maples as they are very conspicuous at that time.