Not all green is good.
Good neighbors do not let English Ivy grow up their trees, over their flowers, and shed seeds to do it all over again. Are you going to maintain those invasive plants, so they don’t flow and fruit?
Invasive plants are those that are not native to the space they inhabit, which results in harm to the surrounding environment. They can grow at a very quick rate and take over native plants.
Invasive pest plants live a longer life than even a human lifetime and aggressively spread in the meantime. The harm they cause to wildlife and other plant communities can be irreversible, leading to expenses that need to be paid by farmers and land managers. If one flower is missed, an entire new infection can start miles away from your plant if a bird picks it up or it is carried by the wind. Do you think all of the generations after you are going to trim these plants back?
The most common invasive plants in Georgia include the Autumn Olive, Chinese Privet, Kudzu, Tallow Tree, Cogongrass, Multiflora Rose, and other types of vines and invasive plants of concern. This “Managing Invasive Plants in the Georgia Piedmont” guide outlines how to identify and control twelve common invasive plants in Georgia, and this “Invasive Plants of the Southeast” brochure highlights the top twenty invasive species in the Southeast.
Help to combat invasive plants by checking a plant’s origins before purchasing and planting it; removing your invasive plants and any traces of them so they are unable to regrow; cleaning off shoes and clothing after spending time in the woods; and educating others on the harm invasive plants bring with them.
To learn more about how the State Botanical Garden of Georgia is countering invasive species in the state, check out the Georgia Native Plant Initiative.
If you are interested in incorporating native plants in your own backyard and community, check out the State Botanical Garden of Georgia recommended native plant nurseries list, as well as the Georgia Grasslands Initiative article on buying native plants.
If you are not sure if a plant is an invasive species or not, feel free to send a photo and ask a member of the SciCon team through our Ask an Expert page.
Additional Resources
Invasive Plants of the Southeast – brochure – how you can help – recommended alternatives for your garden
https://botgarden.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Invasive-Species-Brochure.pdf
Managing Invasive Plants in the Georgia Piedmont – A guide to identifying and controlling 12 common invasive plants
Help us track invasives you have removed through this form!
Video by UGA Extension & 4-H Towns County, English Ivy Control