Invasive plants affect everyone. Though it is tempting to think of these plants as a problem only for those who work directly with land in an agricultural or forestry capacity, the U.S. Geological Survey reports that some $20 billion in damages can be linked to invasive plant life (see footnote). Considering that enormous sum of money, it is evident that invasive plants also have a significant affect on the average citizen -- in cities, suburbs, and rural America.

Trees with invasive vines wrapped around them, and the permanent damage caused.

The problem of invasive plants has many direct and secondary negative effects, including:

• Crowding out desirable, native species
• Creating plant monocultures
• Degrading wildlife habitat
• Reducing property values
• Increasing soil erosion
• Negatively impacting endangered species
• Interfering with recreational activities in parks, forests and other public lands
• Posing reliability threats to utility power lines
• Increasing the need for road maintenance
• Obscuring vision at intersections
• Contributing to wildfires

Let's define invasive plants in these terms:

Non-native	Invasive	Noxious
Species that were directly or indirectly introduced to a given region by humans, were not present in the region before and would not have spread into the area without human interference. Synonyms include exotic, alien and non-indigenous.	Species that spread into areas where they are not native. This includes non-native species that escape or otherwise grow outside cultivation. Not all non-native plants are invasive.	Species or groups of species that have been legally designated by county, state or federal agencies as pests.

 

What can YOU do to battle invasive plants?

Plant Native Alternatives!

 

 

To learn more about Trees Atlanta's invasive plants program, visit the Forest Restoration and Invasive Plant Removal page. Check out Invasipedia for more invasive info.

 

Footnote:

1. U.S. Geological Survey. "Invasive Plant Species: Understanding the Problem" http://cindi.usgs.gov/invasives.html.