Invasive Plants

Many of the plants we see in our yards are not native to the mid-Atlantic region. Some of these plants are not good neighbors, and refuse to stay in our yards, with disastrous consequences.

Privet eliminates the forest understory. Photo: Nava Tabak, Invasive Plant Atlas of New England, Bugwood.org

Invasive plant species not only threaten our natural areas, they may also invade your garden. Landscape plants that seed freely can cause extra work. Seedlings must be weeded out before they take over and displace plants that were painstakingly planted in your garden. Plants such as bamboo can spread quickly from your garden onto other people's property, decreasing their enjoyment of their property and their enjoyment of having you as a neighbor.

Just because a plant does not seem unmanageable in your garden does not mean that the seeds from your plants are not spreading. The fruits on plants, such as barberry or mile-a-minute, are eaten and spread by birds, causing infestations in faraway places.

Mentioned here is a short list of the plant species causing habitat loss for native plants and animals. Some invasive plants were imported and planted for erosion control or as ornamentals before their detrimental effects were fully realized, some came in as 'hitchhikers' with the movement of people and goods. They can also be spread through hiking and camping activity. Birds and other animals also spread seeds within a region as fruit passes through their digestive systems and seeds cling to feathers or coats.

The major problem with all of the invasive plant species is their lack of any natural controls, have aggressive growth patterns and reproduce rapidly and prolifically. Combined with their lack of nutritional and habitat quality for native wildlife, they are very disruptive in the forest and watershed ecosystems on which we all depend. In our mid-Atlantic region, find out more at:

Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas.
National Invasive Species Information Center - Plants

Already in the county:

Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii)
Japanese stilt grass (Microstegium vimineum) Article, PDF
Mile-a-minute vine (Persicaria perfoliata, formerly Polygonum perfoliatum) Article, PDF
Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) Article, PDF
Japanese spiraea (Spiraea japonica) Article, PDF
Exotic honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) Article, PDF
Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) Article, PDF
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) Article, PDF
English Ivy (Hedera helix) Article, PDF
Chinese and Japanese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis and W. floribunda) Article, PDF