An invasive plant is a name for a species that has become a weed pest, a plant that grows aggressively spreads, and displaces other plants. Invasive plants tend to appear on disturbed ground, and the most aggressive can actually invade existing ecosystems.
It is thought that the tendency of invasive plants to spread so much may be due in part to the fact that the insects and diseases that plague them in their native lands are often absent (or exist in lower numbers) in their new homes, where the invasive plants thus enjoy “free rein,” relatively speaking.
Kudzu is a breed of spiraling, scaling, spreading vines native to Japan. The plants are, according to legend, the most invasive plant species in the world, possessed with the ability to climb over trees so quickly they suffocate and kill the branches and trunks they shade from the sun.
If you would rather stay organic, you can try using vinegar as an herbicide. Some organic gardeners even use something as simple as boiling water to kill weeds. If vinegar and scalding water do not work on a particular plant, try another method to get rid of it. Staying organic is all about experimenting. In some cases, the best way to get rid of invasive plants naturally will be by choking them out by smothering them with tarps.
The main reason we don’t like invasive plants is that they hurt the native plants and animals of the area. If a single, highly aggressive invasive plant takes over an area, that can really disrupt the ecosystem. Invasive plants outcompete native plants, which may be medicinal or sacred. In turn, that may hurt the pollinators in an area that depends on a specific early-flowering plant or hurt a mammal that depends on the roots of a plant for winter food.
One way to curb the spread of invasive species is to plant native plants and remove any invasive plants in your garden. There are many good native plant alternatives to common exotic ornamental plants. In addition, learn to identify invasive species in your area, and report any sightings to your county extension agent or local land manager.
there are a number of factors to keep in mind before prejudging a plant for invasiveness. Sometimes, the species plant will be invasive, while a cultivar of that plant will be relatively well-behaved.
