Gardening is a popular pastime and a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors.  Today's gardeners are fortunate to have access to a wide range of exotic and native plants with which to add color and variety to their gardens and tables.

Garden Wise

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

You can be part of the solution by avoiding known invasive garden plants.

Choose alternatives from our Garden Wise booklet.

These booklets were compiled by master gardeners and horticulturists to help gardeners choose alternatives to invasive species.

The alternatives are similar to the invasive plants in many ways—except that they are native and will not invade parks and wild areas near your garden.
While most exotic plants will not invade wild areas and are safe to plant in your garden, a handful escape into nature where they alter natural systems and harm fish and wildlife.

They can also harm our forests and farms, causing economic damages of notable proportions.
Gardeners should be aware that a few exotic garden plants should be avoided because they escape our gardens and adversely affect the places we call home.

Invasive plants can be spread from gardens into the wild in many ways: in yard waste; by birds; and by wind and water. Once established in the wild, invasive plants can can be extremely difficult and expensive to remove.

Noxious weeds

A weed is an unwanted plant. A noxious weed is an invasive plant that is regulated by state law.
The Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board regulates noxious weeds. (link) An advisory committee determines which plants should be listed as noxious weeds, based on known rates of spread and damage caused. Landowners are required to control noxious weeds on their land.

Only plants already in Washington State can be listed as noxious weeds.

Quarantined Plants

The Washington State Department of Agriculture also regulates invasive plants, through the State Quarantine List.  These are plants known to be invasive and likely to cause damage to farm and forest lands. Quarantined plants cannot be bought or sold in Washington State.

Department of Agriculture staff regularly inspect plant nurseries for quarantined plants.

Codes of Conduct for Nurseries

Plant nurseries, and other stores where plants are sold, are an important pathway for invasive species. This pathway is not closely regulated by the state and many known invasive plants (such as English ivy) can still be bought by unsuspecting gardeners.

Voluntary Codes of Conduct have been developed to help nursery owners close this pathway.

What you can do

Ask your favorite nursery if they follow the Codes of Conduct for Nurseries. If they do, thank them for helping stop the spread of harmful invasive species. If they don’t, ask why not, and whether they would consider doing so.