Are you worried about bad plants taking over your yard? You should be! Many plants that are not native to your area can spread quickly and cause big problems.
These plants are called invasive species. They can grow fast, spread easily, and push out the good plants that belong in your yard and neighborhood.
Here are some of the worst invasive plants that can damage your yard, your garden, and even your home. You need to get rid of them as soon as you spot them, before they take over.
1. Kudzu (Puereria montana)
Kudzu is a fast-growing vine that takes over everything in its path. It smothers plants, trees, and even structures.
This invasive plant is causing big trouble in the southeastern United States, especially in Mississippi. It upsets the local ecosystems, puts natural resources at risk, and makes it hard to use forest land effectively.(ref)
2. English Ivy (Hedera helix)
English ivy is an invasive vine that loves to climb trees and structures. But here’s the trouble: it blocks sunlight, strangles tree trunks, and can even kill them.
Plus, it spreads like wildfire, creating thick mats that push out native plants and stop forests from growing back.(ref)
3. Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
The Tree-of-heaven is an invasive tree that grows super fast with a high seed production and high germination rate.
Controlling it is tough, and it spreads like wildfire from seeds and root suckers. The tree is allelopathic, which means that it releases toxic chemicals into the soil, making life difficult for other plant species around it.(ref)
4. Japanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica)
Japanese knotweed is a highly invasive plant that forms dense thickets, crowding out native species and altering ecosystems.
It is extremely difficult to eradicate, as it can regrow from small root fragments, and its extensive root system can damage pavement and building foundations.(ref)
5. Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
Garlic mustard is a biennial herb that invades forests, displacing native plants and reducing biodiversity.
It produces chemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants and mycorrhizal fungi, disrupting forest ecology.(ref)
6. Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
Purple loosestrife is an invasive wetland plant that can quickly dominate marshes, wet meadows, and the edges of ponds and streams.
It outcompetes native wetland plants, reducing plant diversity and degrading wildlife habitat.(ref)
7. Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
Japanese barberry is an invasive shrub that can quickly spread and outcompete native plants, reducing biodiversity in natural areas.
It is difficult to control once established, as it reproduces by seed and can resprout from root fragments left in the soil after removal.(ref)
8. Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
Giant hogweed is a highly invasive plant that can cause severe burns and blisters on human skin when exposed to sunlight.
It grows rapidly, reaching heights of up to 14 feet or more, and can quickly dominate an area, displacing native vegetation.(ref)
9. Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)
Canada thistle is a pervasive weed that spreads aggressively through seeds and underground rhizomes.
Even its tiny root fragments can bounce back, making it hard to get rid of. It grows to 2 to 5 feet tall and can swiftly conquer gardens, fields, and natural spots.(ref)
10. Common Reed (Phragmites australis)
Common reed, also known as Phragmites, is an invasive grass that can form dense monocultures, crowding out native wetland plants.
It is extremely difficult to control, as it spreads by seeds and underground rhizomes, and can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions.(ref)
11. Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus)
Himalayan blackberry is an invasive shrub that forms impenetrable thickets, making it difficult to access areas and displacing native plants.
It spreads rapidly through seeds dispersed by birds and mammals, and its thorny canes can cause injury.(ref)
12. Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora)
Multiflora rose is an invasive multi-stemmed shrub that was once promoted as a natural hedge and wildlife cover.
However, it rapidly multiplies through seeds dispersed by birds and mammals, and can quickly dominate an area, outcompeting native plants.(ref)
Invasive plants can be a big problem in your yard if you don’t watch out for them. These plants spread fast and can take over, pushing out the good plants that belong there. Now that you know what to look for, keep an eye out for these 12 plants. If you see them, get rid of them right away before they cause more trouble.
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Nancy has been a plant person from an early age. That interest blossomed into a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Nancy worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.