Raising Awareness of Invasive Species

I don’t think I can say “Happy” Invasive Species Awareness Week, because it’s not really such a happy thing to make people aware of, but it is Invasive Species Awareness Week, so I thought I’d bring it to your attention.

We’ve been having quite a debate about invasive plants here at Ecosystem Gardening, and to all of you who’ve contributed to that discussion, thank you! Keep those comments coming, because I’m going to be writing about that soon.

You may know that I have a hit list where I’m making a list of the worst offenders when it comes to invasive plants. I’d love to know which species are on your “Most Hated Plants” list as well. Leave a comment below to let me know.

I learned a lot about Garlic Mustard from this post at Beautiful Wildlife Garden. The funny thing is, some people are suggesting that this one could be controlled if we all started to eat it. Make some pesto. Add it to a salad. I’m all for that, because that is one really hard plant to get under control.

The thing is, and I know this may seem like an unwinable battle, we all need to educate our friends and neighbors as well as the local nurseries who are still selling these plants.

Education is crucial. Your friends probably don’t know that Burning Bush they just planted is invasive (and the nursery owner may not know it either).

Help your neighbors and friends choose better native alternatives to these invasive plants. Tell them (nicely, of course) how much harm can come from adding these plants to their landscapes.

Even if each of us could only help one person gain awareness of the damage that is caused when these garden plants escape into our natural ecosystems, that would be a good thing. There are a lot of us. Let’s all get to work bringing education and awareness of invasive plants to those that are closest to us!

Who are you going to bring awareness to first?