What Are Invasive Plants Versus Native Plants, and Why Should We Care?

The first criteria for an invasive plant is that it is not a native plant to an area.  A Connecticut non-native plant is a plant that did not exist here in Connecticut before European arrival. A date of 1500 is used as an estimate of the year of European arrival. A native plant would be one that was growing here before the time of European arrival, pre-1500.  Over the course of many years native plants evolved gradually to support native insects, birds, wildlife, and people.  While some imported plants support these as well, and not all non-native plants are considered invasive, the likelihood of an imported plant becoming invasive is always a possibility because the imported plant may not be a desirable food source for native herbivores or insects.  Therefore, there is nothing to keep the imported plant's population in check.  Many plants now considered invasive were introduced intentionally from other countries where they were grown as food or for medicinal use, some had ornamental purposes, others were used in erosion control, and some were even introduced to support our wildlife. Other invasive plants hitched a ride unbeknownst to the carrier via seeds in contaminated soil or hidden among cargo. When these plants were intentionally imported for their various uses, they were kept in gardens and cultivated. They did not yet earn their stripes as being invasive. It took years for some of these plants to escape cultivation and reach their present invasive status.  Many of the plants that have made it to the present Connecticut invasive plant list are prolific producers of seed or have root systems capable of spreading long distances and sending up numerous new shoots.  Many examples begin their rapid growth cycle early in the season before our native plants do.   Therefore, they deprive native plants of sunlight and even some of the minerals required for their growth.  Some invasive plants exude chemicals that prevent growth of other plants near them.  Invasive species of plants are more pervasive now then they have ever been in the past. Some of this is due to vast fields of farmland that have been abandoned.  Areas of disturbed soil caused by construction also create a potential new home for invasive species. Some invasive species or their cultivars are still being sold in nurseries and planted by unsuspecting homeowners.  Many of these cultivars retain their ability to become invasive.  The plants can spread by seed eaten by birds or wildlife then dropped onto new areas of your land or to adjacent forest land where you did not originally intend for these plants to colonize.  

At this point, some invasive plants have become so widespread in Connecticut that they are likely here to stay, but with increased human awareness, their population can hopefully be managed. It would be ideal if we could all work together to prevent invasive plants from creating monocultures throughout our town, one where they take over and crowd out our native plants. Preventing the spread of invasive plants is beneficial not only for the survival of native plants and wildlife but it will also benefit all of us as residents of this town.  Spread of invasive plants can ruin agricultural land, choke off waterways, or in some cases increase soil erosion.  It is surprising how the rapid growth cycle of invasives can impede the growth of native plants even trees as strong as Oaks!  The presence of some invasive plants has been proven to reduce property values. Spread of these plants impacts our recreational opportunities by limiting access to woodland and open space where we can hike, fish, camp, or hunt.  I have seen woodland paths completely choked off by Japanese Barberry bushes, to the point where they are virtually impenetrable!  Open space for passive recreation in Scotland, our forests, our brooks, our rivers, this is what makes our town a uniquely special place to live.  I hope I can inspire you to share my interest in caring for our land!

My intention is to introduce a different invasive plant in each of my posts.  I truly feel it is a good thing to be aware of these plants and know both their positive and negative attributes.  It helps to be able to identify each of these plants so that we don't unintentionally aid in their spread.

The majority of acreage in our state is privately owned.  If you own land and are willing to take action to control these invasive plants on at least a portion of that land you will be making a positive impact on the ecosystem and make our town more attractive.  For folks in town who own large tracts of land, it is possible that you may be able to obtain help from a land conservation grant available from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Killingly.  I have been provided a contact Bill Purcell @ 860-412-5258.  You may also visit this page of the USDA website for further information. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/csp-conservation-stewardship-program/connecticut/connecticut-conservation   

Even if you have no intention of removing these plants, make yourself aware of them because some cultivars of invasive plants are still being sold in nurseries, and you can at least avoid adding these to your landscape.   For more information here is a link to a video of a CT state forester addressing and discussing the invasive plant situation in Connecticut.  https://www.ctinsider.com/connecticut/article/ct-invasive-plants-deep-barberry-19433321.php