Source: California Invasive Plant Council


URL of this page: http://www.cal-ipc.org/landscaping/calhip.php
Cal-IPC > Responsible Landscaping > Nursery Partnership: Cal-HIP

California Horticultural Invasives Prevention (Cal-HIP) partnership

Fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) is an invasive plant that was introduced as an ornamental landscaping plant
Fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) is an invasive plant that was introduced as an ornamental landscaping plant
Photo courtesy Carolyn Martus

In 2004, Cal-IPC helped form the California Horticultural Invasive Prevention (Cal-HIP) partnership. The partnership is facilitated by the nonprofit Sustainable Conservation, and includes broad representation from trade associations from the nursery and landscaping industries. The partnership develops voluntary measures to reduce the number of invasive plant species sold in California and to prevent further invasions from horticulture. Industry participants include representatives from growers, nurseries, Master Gardeners, and professional associations (see list below). The initial steps taken by the partnership were described in the Summer 2005 Cal-IPC News. Sustainable Conservation maintains updated partnership information through their online newsletter.

The Cal-HIP partnership has compiled a list of ornamental plants that have become invasive in California and that are still available through horticulture, and which ornamentals can serve as suitable alternatives. The PlantRight campaign has been developed to bring this information to the public.

For some plants there are unresolved questions -- about which cultivars are invasive, about which regions are vulnerable to a particular plant, and about which types of habitats are most vulnerable. Future research will seek to answer these questions.In addition, the partnership will begin to address the issue of screening potential new introductions.

For information on landscaping alternatives for invasive plants, see PlantRight.org and Cal-IPC's Don't Plant a Pest! page.

Documents Related to Cal-HIP

Organizations Participating in Cal-HIP

  • American Nursery and Landscape Association
  • American Society of Landscape Architects
  • Association of Professional Landscape Designers
  • California Agricultural Commissioner and Sealers Association
  • California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers
  • California Department of Food and Agriculture
  • Califorina Farm Bureau Federation
  • California Invasive Plant Council
  • California Landscape Contractors Association
  • California Native Plant Society
  • California Seed Association
  • California State Floral Association
  • Huntington Botanical Gardens
  • Monrovia Growers
  • Sustainable Conservation
  • The Nature Conservancy
  • UC Cooperative Extension, Master Gardeners Program
  • UC Davis Arboretum
  • UC Santa Cruz Arboretum
  • University of Washington
  • Yamagami's Nursery

Other Programs Addressing Invasive Ornamentals