Invasive Plant Information for Gardeners

Some of the best alternative plants are native species. Browse the resources listed on this page for more information on gardening and invasive species.

General Tips for Controlling Invasive Plants in Your Garden:

On your next garden trim, try to trim branches and stems containing seed pods and fruit while they are still green. Trimming before seed pods and fruit ripen and their seeds are dispersed helps manage the spread of non-native garden plants.

When disposing of weedy garden waste, make sure that any stems that contain seed pods or fruit are properly contained. Collect the seed pods or fruit and dispose of them by placing them in a sealed plastic bag. In areas where you are permitted to incinerate garden waste, burn weeds and their seeds, but be sure to follow your local county's guidelines for burning yard waste, and check to make sure that burning isn't an important part of the germination cycle of your weeds (e.g. the seeds of some species of eucalyptus and acacia actually germinate faster if they have been burned in a fire!).

> NEW! Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants. Brooklyn Botanic Garden All-Region Guides. "In this handbook, plant professionals and home gardeners alike will discover hundreds of spectacular native plants for every region, specially chosen as alternatives to the invasive species that are degrading and destroying the continent's natural habitats. These beautiful wildflowers, shrubs, and trees not only serve as alternatives to invasive plants but also offer food for butterflies, birds, and other wildlife."

> Alternatives to Invasive or Potentially Invasive Exotic Species. "A list of native plant alternatives to invasive or potentially invasive non-native plants in the landscape. Originally published as part of Native Trees, Shrubs & Vines: A Guide to Using, Growing, and Propagating North American Woody Plants by NEWFS Nursery Manager William Cullina. (PDF)

> US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Great Lakes Ecosystems Green Landscaping web:

• Greenacres Green Landscaping with Native Plants (includes state resources for Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin)
• Wild Ones Handbook - Native Plants, Natural Landscapes - Landscaping with Native Plants (PDF)
• Greenacres - Green Landscaping Resources
• National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Habitat web
• Bridge of Seeds - Chicago Native Seeds Gardens Study
• Springfield Township Michigan Native Vegetation Enhancement Project web and homeowners fact sheets
• Native Plant and Animal Photo Essay (PDF).

> Exotic Aquatic Plants - What Every Plant Enthusiast Needs to Know (Illinois - Indiana Sea Grant) (PDF)

> Invasive Plants - What Every Gardener Needs to Know (Plants & Garden News Vol 15 (1), Spring 2000, Brooklyn Botanic Garden)

> What Traits Distinguish Invasive Plants from Non-Invasive Plants? (1996 Symposium Proceedings, California Exotic Pest Plant Council, Sarah Hayden Reichard, Univ. Washington) (PDF)

> Breeding for Non-Invasive Landscape Plants (Richard T. Olsen and Thomas G. Ranney, Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center)

University of Connecticut, Department of Plant Science, Cooperative Extension System, Integrated Pest Management Program: -

> Managing Weeds in the Home Garden - Online Homestudy Course. The course covers weed prevention methods and controls such as cultivation, mulching and the use of herbicides. There are 2 multiple choice assignments

> Turfgrass IPM - Online Homestudy Course. The course offers an overview of lawn construction & maintenance, seed selection, fertilizers, watering, mowing, insects, weeds and diseases. There are 3 multiple choice assignments

Back to Top

> Controlling Bamboo (American Bamboo Society). "While we really are in favor of planting bamboos, rather than eliminating them, we do need to tell people how to get rid of a bamboo when somebody has planted the wrong variety, or the right variety in the wrong place. One of the most common letters we receive starts out “My neighbor planted a bamboo, and now it is coming up all over my yard. I have sprayed it with (product name deleted) and it doesn’t work. What can I do?" (By George Shor, Southern California Chapter, American Bamboo Society).

> Invasive Plant FAQs by the New England Wild Flower Society staff. "I've heard that I must be careful not to plant invasive plants in my landscape. How can I know which plants are habitat invaders?"

> Control of Invasive Non-Native Plants. A Guide for Gardeners and Homeowners in the Mid-Atlantic Region (Maryland Native Plant Society, 1999)

> Information about invasive species for gardeners including a Don't Plant A Pest!: Alternatives to Invasive Garden Plants brochure and suggested alternatives for invasive garden plants of the greater San Francisco Bay Area (California Invasive Plant Council - Cal-IPC). (PDF)

> Learn more about Invasive Plants from the US National Arboretum

> Contact your local Native Plant Society or Association

> Native Gardening - Plant the seeds of change (National Parks Conservation Association)

> Exotic Aquatic Plants - What Every Plant Enthusiast Needs to Know (Illinois - Indiana Sea Grant)(PDF)

> Dave's Garden. For Gardeners... By Gardeners. Provides forums, the PlantFiles database, and contact information for 4,155 gardening vendors in the Garden Watchdog catalog.

> Profiles of Invasive Species ("BuckeyeGardening.com - the best online resource for Ohio's gardening enthusiasts!")

> E-Nature Native Gardening and Invasive Plants Guide (National Wildlife Federation)

> Linking Ecology & Horticulture to Prevent Plant Invasions. Selections from the Proceedings of a workshop (2001) (Center for Plant Conservation)

To find the right native plant solutions for your garden, contact your local Native Plant Society or the United States Native Plant Information Network.

Back to Top