INVASIVE AWARENESS

Now that spring has sprung, many of us have that gardening bug. We can just head to the home improvement store and pick up some plants on sale for the front flowerbed. A little inexpensive aesthetic landscaping never hurt anyone, did it?

Actually, yes.

Non-native plants, many of which you can buy just down the street at your nearest home improvement store, can wreak havoc as they invade native ecosystems, carried away from "contained" beds by rain, wind, birds, aggressive roots, shoes, etc.

The National Park Service, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, The Garden Club of America, National Invasive Species Council Student Conservation Association and many others have partnered to create Plantwise, a site to help gardeners learn how to manage their gardens and reduce invasive plants in the landscape. Here are a few Plantwise facts:

-- Invasive species are the number one threat to native biodiversity on protected lands.

-- Invasive plants are spreading over approximately 1,729,730 acres per year of U.S. wildlife habitat.

-- Scientists estimate that invasive plants cost our economy $35 billion in damages and treatment each year

To learn more about how to create an eco-friendly garden, visit beplantwise.org.

And for loads more information on invasive plants, including an extensive database, how you can report sightings of non-natives, and help stop the spread, visit the Texas Invasives website at texasinvasives.org.

Plateau is experienced in, and has the chemical applicator licenses for, large scale invasives removal. If your property has fallen victim to a non-native invasion, contact us today for more information.