Property Owners Beware: Weed Killer Declared Eco-Friendly Goes Awry Destroying Trees Too!

DuPont has decided to suspend the sale of its Imprelis herbicide in voluntary compliance with an order from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Tree damage related to Imprelis usage. Photo courtesy of aiTurf.

Beginning last June, the EPA started receiving complaints about damage to evergreens related to the use Imprelis. In its evaluation, the agency is investigating whether these incidents are the results of inadequate warnings and directions on the product labels, product misuse, environmental factors, or other possible causes.

Imprelis was created by DuPont for professional use only. The herbicide was intended to control a variety of unwanted broadleaf weeds in lawns, athletic fields, gold courses, parks, cemeteries, and sod farms.

The EPA is also warning that the grass clippings that have been treated with Imprelis should not be used for composting or mulching, and trees that may have been injured with the herbicide should also not be used for compost or mulch. This is because Imprelis has been absorbed into the vegetation and could continue to cause damage if reintroduced into the environment.

The current damage from Imprelis appears to be primarily affecting sensitive tree species, such as the Norway spruce and white pine, but DuPont admits that it “has also received reports of damage to other species.” The most commonly reported signs of damage have been needle browning and the curling of new growth.

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