Removing Invasive Plants from Your Property Helps to Protect Wildlands

Our nation’s forests, our coastlines, and our regional and national parks are at risk from invasive plants that escape from our home landscapes. These invasive species stress the woodlands, prairies, deserts, and waterways that are our greatest natural resources. The good news is that when you remove invasive plants from your property, you help to prevent the spread of these invaders and help protect your local wildlands.

Norway Maple

Still widely planted: The Norway maple (Acer platanoides) outcompetes native saplings, preventing native forest regeneration. Roots that grow close to the surface inhibit the forest's native understory growth along with the populations of animals and organisms that depend on a rich, native plant-filled ecosystem.

Fast food joint for butterflies? As its name implies, butterfly-bush (Buddleja davidii) is a butterfly magnet. The jury appears to be out regarding the quality of the nectar, but the troubling concern is this plant's tendency to escape our home landscapes and invade forests displacing native plant communities. Luckily, the many beautiful native alternatives make eliminating butterfly-bush from our landscapes an easy decision.

Fast food joint for butterflies? As its name implies, butterfly-bush (Buddleja davidii) is a butterfly magnet. The jury appears to be out regarding the quality of the nectar, but the troubling concern is this plant's tendency to escape our home landscapes and invade forests displacing native plant communities. Luckily, the many beautiful native alternatives make eliminating butterfly-bush from our landscapes an easy decision.

Purple Loosestrife
Beauty and the (lack of) beasts: It is hard to deny the visual appeal of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria; left and below), but its rampant spread has a devastating impact on wetlands and waterways smothering large areas of native grasses, cattails, and rare aquatic plants that wildlife depends on. Without a source of food, cover, and reproduction sites, native communities of animals and micro life cannot survive.

Beauty and the (lack of) beasts: It is hard to deny the visual appeal of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria; left and above), but its rampant spread has a devastating impact on wetlands and waterways smothering large areas of native grasses, cattails, and rare aquatic plants that wildlife depends on. Without a source of food, cover, and reproduction sites, native communities of animals and microlife cannot survive. Photo: Liz West, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

invasive-ivy

Alas, although it's a symbol of love and friendship, ivy (Hedera) is no friend to our wildlife habitats where it aggressively smothers the natural plant communities that it overtakes.

Plants that are introduced to a country or region are considered non-native, alien, or exotic species. When restoring landscapes to wildlife habitat, introduced plants occupy space in the landscape that otherwise could be used by native plants that offer significantly more wildlife support. Far more worrisome are the introduced plants that compete aggressively and cause extreme damage to the natural ecosystems they invade. These aggressive plants are called invasive species.

Invasive plant species outcompete and often kill the native plants they overtake. When a native plant species disappears from an ecosystem, the wildlife depending upon it will also disappear. Unfortunately, there are numerous species of invasive plants including many that are still available for purchase.

In this article, we share tools to help you identify the invasive species you are most likely to encounter and offer ways to remove them to make room for native plants that will welcome and support the wildlife in your yard.

Invasive Bittersweet

Asiatic bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is an aggressive, invasive vine that climbs up trees, weighing down and breaking branches and strangling trees to death.

Why Are Invasive Plants So Successful?

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Large quantities of seeds: A single plant of stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) can produce up to 1,000 seeds that are viable (alive and able to germinate) for 3 years or more. Such prodigious seed production makes it very hard to keep up with removal.

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Seeds are easily dispersed: Some plants in the Aster family (Asteraceae) such as thistles produce pappus (fluffy tufts attached to each seed) that work like a parachute to carry the seed away in the wind.

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Seeds are transported: Birds feast on the berries of invasive plants such as this Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii). Later the birds fly away and deposit the seeds elsewhere.

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Seeds Are Transported: People and lawnmowers spread seeds embedded in the mud on their shoes and tires. Some invasive plants have seeds that stick to clothing and animal fur.

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Aggressive Root Systems: Invasive plants that spread by rhizomes (underground stems that root) or stolons (horizontally growing stems that may root and form new plants) can quickly dominate an area. Removal is challenging because even a tiny piece of the plant may produce a new plant.

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Grow Well In Disturbed Soil: Disturbed soil is an invitation for invasive plants to take over. Disruption exposes seeds in the seed bank (an accumulation of viable seeds stored in the soil) to sunlight causing germination. Invasive plant species often outcompete any native species seeds that germinate.

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Allelopathic Chemicals: Allelopathic plants such as garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) release biochemicals in the soil that inhibit the growth and survival of surrounding plants.

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Longer Growing Season: Year-round foliage offering privacy and ornamental interest spurs the distribution of many invasive species. Laws are increasingly in place to ban their sale.

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Humans Buy and Plant Them: Ornamental plants with beautiful flowers have been the driving force in landscape design for centuries, resulting in the widespread dispersal of invasives.

Don't Purchase, Share, or Plant Invasive Plant Species

Sadly, many invasive species are still widely propagated and sold in wholesale and retail nurseries. In a 2021 study, Evelyn M. Beaury and colleagues analyzed the U.S. plant trade and found that 60% of the invasive plant species in the United States were still available for purchase! Even worse, 50% of the species that states have identified as especially problematic and 20% of federally identified noxious weeds were still offered for sale! (Beaury et al., 2021)

After purchasing some native plants, I was excited when a seedling came up in a pot along with one of my new plants. I nursed it along, eager about the possibility of a new native. When it was large enough to identify, I snapped a photo, used my plant ID app, and identified it as common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), an extremely invasive plant that is not common where I live . . . at least not yet! 

Many invasive plants are still available for purchase!

Invasive Red

Learning to identify which common ornamental plants are invasive will help you to avoid inadvertently planting these invasive plants in your landscape. By not buying invasive plants that are still being offered in retail nurseries, you will help send the strong message that wholesale growers need to hear:

PLEASE STOP PROPAGATING INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES!

Note the Locations of Invasive Plants Growing on Your Property

Although transitioning our landscapes to 100% native plants is ideal, a more realistic initial goal for most of us is to strive for mostly native plants growing alongside introduced plants that are not invasive. In a multi-year study comparing chickadee nesting success in residential landscapes with varying percentages of introduced versus native plants, Desiree Narango, Douglas Tallamy, and Peter Marra (2017) found that as the percent of native plants increased in the landscape, the probability that chickadees would nest increased. Among those that nested, the number of eggs laid increased, and the likelihood of the nestlings surviving also increased. What an incentive this provides for removing introduced plants, especially invasive ones, to make room for native plants! (Narango et al., 2017).

Invasive Plant o Meter

You may already recognize some of the invasive plant species growing on your property. As you transition to native plants, your landscape will fall somewhere along the continuum above. Use the tools and resources described in this article to help you identify any plants that are unfamiliar. Are there any pesty invasive plants growing on your property?

Walk around your property and note the locations of invasive plants that need removal.

Consider also noting the non-invasive introduced plants growing on your property that could be removed to free up space for native plants that provide more ecological services. Once you've reviewed your property, make an estimate as to where your property currently falls on the continuum above.

Invasive Diagram 2

Identifying Invasive Plants

Online Resources to Help You Identify and Learn About Invasive Plant Species

When you come across an unfamiliar plant, it's super important to identify it before allowing it to grow or yanking it out. Although in the early stages of building your wildlife habitat, the plant is likely to be an invasive species, just maybe, it will be a native plant brought in by animals or the wind. Luckily, with an increasing selection of handy plant identification resources available, you no longer need to be an expert botanist to identify most plants. To help you identify the plants you discover growing on your property, we'll first review some popular plant identification apps and websites:

Invasive Honeysuckle

Use Plant Identification Apps to Identify Invasive Plant Species

Some apps are designed specifically to help you identify and report invasive species, such as the mobile version of the EDDMapS website. The National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC) is a go-to resource for finding descriptions and links for smartphone apps related to the identification and reporting of invasive species identification.

Keep in mind that accurate identification depends on the size of an app’s database of plants. Also, you will find that many of the general plant identification apps are geared toward non-native, ornamental species. Next, we'll explain how to efficiently use several websites that are very helpful for identifying, learning about, and in some cases, reporting invasive species. In this guide, we focus on invasive plants but some of these sites also provide fascinating information about invasive microorganisms, insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and other invasive species.

We also highly recommend the Seek! app by iNaturalist. To identify a plant, you can upload a photo for an instant ID. The app also has a large community that will work to confirm the ID for you.

Use the National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC) to Learn About the Most Problematic Invasive Species

 

The National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC) site is an ideal place to get to know the worst invasive plants. In addition to thorough descriptions, distribution maps are presented for each plant. The limited number of plant profiles features some of the most problematic invasive species in the United States. Especially nice are the informative videos about each plant. If you identify one of these species on your property, use the various resources in this article to determine the best method for removing it ASAP!

Use EDDMapS to View the Distribution of Invasive Species in Your Region

Take some time to explore the EDDMapS website to discover a wide variety of resources about invasives, including distribution maps of invasive plants, insects, fungi, diseases, and other wildlife. Information, images, and references are provided for each species.

Removing Invasive Plants

NOW Is the Time to Start Removing Invasive Plants from Your Property!

While establishing your wildlife habitat, the pressure from invasives will be greater. However, with time, there will be fewer and fewer invasives producing seed. Instead, the native plants will be crowding out the seedlings of invasives that do sprout and building up a native species seed bank. We suggest looking up best practices for removing the specific invasive species on your property, but we will review general methods below.

Invasive Hand Pull 2

Hand Pull: Works best with young plants and shallow-rooted plants. Always aim to disturb the soil as little as possible.

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Trim: Whack with string trimmer or cut with pruning shears. Repeat until the plant has used up its reserves and does not regrow.

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Smother (Block): Many invasives can be controlled using the Block It! method. It may be necessary to reapply the blocking materials for some of the more persistent species such as rhizomatous grasses. For trees and shrubs, covering the stumps with landscape cloth and tying it around the base is an effective alternative to herbicides.

Invasive Saw 2

Saw: Chop with a reciprocating saw, hand saw, or a chain saw. Large shrubs and trees will require sawing to remove.

Invasive Hoe 2

Chop With a Hoe: Hoeing is much easier when invasive plants are young—for both plants and people!

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Dig to Remove Roots: A sturdy trowel or hori hori garden knife is sufficient for small plants; larger plants will likely require a shovel. It’s best to limit the use of this method to invasives that will readily regrow if their roots are left in the ground, such as rhizomatous grasses, tree seedlings, or honeysuckle. Soil disturbance exposes seeds and usually results in a new generation of invasive growth.

Disposing of Invasive Plants

How to Safely Dispose of Removed Invasive Plants

Once you've done the hard work of removing invasive plants, care must be taken to prevent accidentally spreading the plant during disposal. Get to know your invasive plants and how they spread—many plants regrow from cut pieces of root, and seeds may ripen even after removal. Some municipalities consider invasive plant species to be controlled waste. Check the policies for your waste collection service and follow their guidelines for disposal.

Many invasive plants can simply be placed in a shallow pile on pavement, a tarp, or a pallet until they dry out and die within a couple of weeks. Then, the plant waste can be placed in a hidden pile to decompose and monitored in case of regrowth. But some invasive plants require strict precautions; for example, Japanese knotweed and some honeysuckles will regrow from tiny fragments of stems or roots.

For tough invasives like these and for plants that have already gone to seed, remove any plant parts that may grow or sprout, such as rhizomatous roots, mature flowers, seeds, and fruits; and seal them in a plastic bag. Place the bag in the sun to bake for at least 3 weeks, longer in cooler seasons. After "baking" the waste in a bag or on hot pavement, place it in a hidden, isolated pile used only for invasive plant waste. Over time, the bottom layers of the pile will decompose into rich organic matter, but due to the potential presence of viable seed, this waste is best left in a pile and monitored. Subsequent layers of newly removed invasive plants and/or cardboard laid over the pile will help to smother any regrowth.

This content is an excerpt from Nature's Action Guide by Sarah F. Jayne, shared here with the author’s permission. All rights reserved © 2025 Sarah F. Jayne.

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