Invasive Plants

1. Invasive Plants

2. What are they? • Come into an area and out-compete native plants • Usually do not have native predators (i.e. insects, grazing animals) • Create a “mono-culture”- only one type of plant in an area • Often introduced: • As ornamental garden plants, which “escape” • As “hitchikers” on ships or in cargo • For a purpose, with unintended results

3. What are they? • Often have different growth cycles than native plants (start earlier in the season) • Control methods can often lead to increased propagation (more plants!)

4. Purple Loosestrife • Found in wet areas • Marshes, pond/lake edges, riverbanks • Crowds out native wetland plants • Loss of habitat for native birds and insects • A single plant can produce over a million seeds in a season

5. Japanese Honeysuckle • Introduced as an ornamental and for erosion control • Vine that smothers low vegetation and chokes the growth of trees and shrubs • Can be controlled in small areas but spreads quickly

6. Eurasion Water Milfoil • Spread by aquarium dealers and fishermen and boats • Quickly forms an extensive root system and crowds out native aquatic plants & fish habitats • Low nutrient value • Clog water intake pipes • Create mosquito breeding areas

7. Russian Olive • Shrub with fuzzy silvery leaves • Can resprout quickly after burning or cutting • Can fix nitrogen so can grow quickly • Reduce water in soil and are drought tolerant

8. Oriental Bittersweet • Vine with orange berries (used to make wreaths) • Climbing vine that twines around native plants • Can choke them • Weight of vine can pull down trees