Invasive Plants

Invasive Species are alien plant or animal species (not usually native to an area) whose introduction and spread are likely to cause environmental and/or economic harm. Invasive species reproduce and spread rapidly and have few, if any, natural controls such as herbivores or diseases to keep them in balance. Spreading aggressively, invasives tend to out-compete and displace the native species that have evolved within a balanced ecosystem.

For more information on Invasive Plants, please refer to the following resources:

• Weeds Gone Wild, Plant Conservation Alliance
• Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas, National Park Service
• Invasive Plants of the Eastern United States: Identification and Control
• Fact Sheets (by species), Plant Conservation Alliance
• Invasive and Exotic Species of North America, University of Georgia
• Weed Control Methods Handbook: Tools and Techniques for Use in Natural Areas, The Nature Conservancy