invasive plant society

Autumn Olive plants making their way across a depleted, unmanaged, worn-out field. At least something can flourish and start improving the soil, here. This plant is the all-star of ‘invaders’. You can read more about it at its page.

Welcome to the Invasive Plant Society!

This is not a site dedicated to hating on or waging war against non-native plants.

Of course, it might be better if these plants had not been brought to our shores, but they are here and not going away no matter what we do to try to control them.

North America is now north of 400 years from the beginnings of serious crop cultivation. As a result, soil structure and fertility have been going downhill ever since making growing conditions for native plants less than ideal.

Native plants, that the settlers first observed, had been evolving right along with the soil under them for thousands of years by then. Over time, right plant-right place became a given in the natural world. Well, this isn’t their kind of soil anymore, so now they struggle.

Years of drought takes its toll on native trees that finally had to give it up.

It’s also not their kind of weather, either. Changing weather patterns provide some areas with regular mini-droughts making survival difficult for many natives.

Not every plant that has been brought here has found it to be a hospitable growing environment. The ones that like it here do so because they have the ability to do well in degraded conditions. As a result, and lacking much competition from native plants, they appear to grow like there’s no tomorrow. Not coincidentally, these are also the plants you’ve probably heard of: Autumn Olive, Multiflora Rose, Tree-of-Heaven, etc. Books have been written filled with page-after-page of non-native plants that are said to be ruining our environment (never mind the fact that man beat them to it).

Today’s immoderate weather and centuries of soil overuse aren’t the only problems suppressing native plants. Your vegetable and flower gardens excepted, deer prefer natives. In other words, deer select for non-native plants. Too many deer will reward your area with a bounty of them.

Additionally, you might have noticed while driving along the highways and byways that the roadsides are especially covered with alien plants. Highway departments select for them, too. They help to spread them (seed dispersal) through constant mowing; they keep the soil compacted through constant mowing; the soil is hotter and drier through constant mowing; it’s all good for non-natives along roadways.

And then there are the things you may be doing at home which, pretty much, includes anything. Mowing, raking, trimming, sinking a shovel into the ground, croquet 🙂 , etc, all encourage alien plants.

Until trees are given the chance (and the rain) to, again, be the naturally occurring climax community, shading out and/or smothering with leaves most everything below, non-native plants will remain a huge part of this country’s landscape.

Therefore, it would be useful to know about some of the positive impacts they are having for wildlife and the environment as a whole despite what the NPNs (native plant Nazis) say.

Again, welcome!

P.S. It is not my intention to delve into the multitudes of non-native plants across this country. It wouldn’t be necessary because…and you can make book on this…no matter where you live and what non-natives live nearby, your local wildlife will be using them in some capacity.

P.S.S. There will be no discussion occurring at this site. The emotion that drives the NPNs inhibits the opening of their minds to the possibility of following another path, thus, the attempted free exchange of ideas would end up being a complete waste of everybody’s time.

P.S.S.S. Tell your friends about this tiny corner of ad free sanity.