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Gardeners, in their attempts to beautify the world, sometimes inadvertently act to introduce or spread invasive species. The best defense strategy against invasive species is to strive to "do no harm", and responsible gardening is a huge part of that.
See below for common mistakes and ways that you can become a more responsible gardener.
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Don't make this mistake!
Dumping yard waste in natural areasDumping yard waste into natural areas is a bad idea. Plant invasions often begin as escaped cultivars, and even plants that stay well contained in a closed garden setting may become invasive when discarded in a natural environment. Many invasive species, such as the Japanese knotweed pictured above, can sprout a whole new plant from the tiniest fragment of stem. Also, sometimes yard clippings include seeds. Some flowering plants will even finish their growth cycle and produce seeds some time after the plant has been cut.
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Do Good!
Try to plant native speciesThere are many beautiful native plants. Our native pollinators co-evolved with our native plants, sometimes so specifically that they only can use and therefore pollinate one specific native host plant.
While native plants are the best for habitat preservation and native pollinator use, some of us can't resist the allure of the big showy cultivars. An increasing number of plant retailers that deal in cultivars are agreeing to only sell non-invasive plant species.
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Read between the lines on plant tags!
The descriptions on the plant tags sometimes have hidden meanings.Beware of plant tags labelled "fast-growing" or "predator free". Plants labeled "insect resistant" have sometimes been treated with systemic insecticides that are not selective about which insects they kill - this includes your cherished butterflies of the garden. The thorns that make Japanese barberry "deer resistant" is also what makes it such an impenetrable nightmare when it escapes to natural areas.
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Photos used under Creative Commons from dc_gardens, Kristine Paulus, NatureServe klp.nyc
