Invasive Plants
Learn about plants that spread too quickly and take over areas where they don't naturally belong
Kudzu vines completely covering trees and buildings showing invasive plant takeover
Invasive plants are species that grow in places where they don't naturally belong and spread so quickly that they crowd out native plants. While these plants aren't necessarily "bad," they can cause big problems when they get into ecosystems where they have no natural enemies to keep them under control.
How Plants Become Invasive
Most invasive plants were originally brought to new places by people, either on purpose or by accident. Kudzu was brought from Asia to the United States to prevent soil erosion, but it grew so fast that it's now called "the vine that ate the South!" Purple loosestrife was brought as a pretty garden flower but escaped to take over wetlands.
Comparison showing native plant habitat before and after invasive Water Chestnut species takeover (PHOTOGRAPH BY U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region, Wikimedia Commons)
Ships, cars, and planes accidentally carry plant seeds to new continents. Sometimes people bring plants for gardens, and pieces escape into the wild. Climate change is also helping some invasive plants spread to areas that used to be too cold for them.
Problems Invasive Plants Cause
When invasive plants take over, native plants lose their homes and can become endangered or extinct. This is a big problem because native animals depend on native plants for food and shelter. Many insects can only eat certain native plants, so when those plants disappear, the animals that depend on them disappear too.
Japanese knotweed can grow through concrete and damage buildings. Water hyacinth clogs waterways so boats can't pass through. Garlic mustard releases chemicals that kill beneficial fungi that native plants need to survive.
The best way to deal with invasive plants is prevention - by choosing native plants for our gardens and being careful not to spread invasive species, we can help protect the natural balance that keeps ecosystems healthy!
