Can a plant be listed as both Native and Invasive?

Recently I recieved an email with a question we are often asked: I would like to plant non-invasive flowers, shrubs, trees that are self-sustaining in East Texas but I am having some difficulty understanding what is safe.  I find some plants listed on your ‘invasive list’, which is also listed on Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center listing them as ‘native’.  This is confusing, can you help clear this up?
Our answer: A plant can be native in one part of America and an invasive in another. It is a big place. The LBJ Wildflower site is a wonderful place to get information on native plants. They are a good reliable source of information. We work with and partner with them on many projects. Their Mr. Smarty Plants is a great venue for questions about gardening with natives. But while their focus is on native plants, ours is on non-native invasive and pest plants. So, if any state or region in the U.S. lists a plant as invasive, we will have information on it, even if it is actually native to the U.S. or to some part of the U.S.

Invasive Plant Symposium Set for Nov. 4 at Zoo Atlanta

Exotic pest plants are invading natural areas, parks, public and private lands, and even home landscapes at a phenomenal rate, choking out native plant species and causing significant long-term injury to the ecology and economy of Georgia. To learn more about these alien invaders, plan to attend a symposium sponsored by the Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council on November 4, 2010 at Zoo Atlanta. Keynote speaker is Dr. Damon Waitt, senior Botanist at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin Texas, a Center having an international reputation in plant conservation and environmental sustainability. Other presenters at the day-long symposium will discuss the effects of invasive plants on real estate values, sustainable landscapes practices, environmental impacts of non-herbicidal plant control, and the risk associated with using invasive plants for bio-fuel production. The symposium is open to anyone interested in non-native invasive species management. Individuals involved in the management of forest resources, private and public lands, as well as Green Industry professionals and arborists are encouraged to attend. Continuing education units and pesticide credits will be available at the end of the program to qualified individuals. For a complete agenda, directions, and to register, see http://www.gaeppc.org/2010Meeting/index.html

Attend Conferences in your Area to learn more about Invasive Species!

Invasive Species Conferences are being offered across the United States. Attend one near you and take advantage of the opportunity to learn about the invasive pests in you region, hear presentations from top people working in the field, hear up to the minute data and statistics, meet other people in your area who share your concerns about this issue and learn what you can to do to help fight this growing problem.
- 2010 Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council Annual Meeting - Invasive Plants: The Impact on Georgia’s Ecology and Economy Website and Online registration.   (Held at Zoo Atlanta, in Atlanta, Georgia November 4, 2010)
- 2010 Minnesota-Wisconsin Invasive Species Conference - Working Together to Control Invasive Species Website and Online registration. (Held at the Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront, St. Paul, Minnesota
November 8-10, 2010)
Contact us to have your annual meeting or conference on invasive pests posted on the Bugwood Blog

Alert! Hydrilla found in the Ohio River and Several Tributaries

Mats of Hydrilla were documented at virtually all boat launches along the Ohio portion of the Ohio River by Notre Dame. Surveys also found hydrilla in several tributaries of the Ohio River. This information comes from a recent survey. Reports and articles will be posted as they become available. I commend the researchers for making this information quickly available to everyone.

It's a Scary Time to Be a Weed aka Invasive Plant

Read about volunteer groups across America battling invasive plants. In Portland, Oregon the "No Ivy League" is battling English Ivy, in Montgomery County, Maryland "Weed Warriors" are on the march and the fearless "Kuzilla" successfully fights kudzu in Spartanburg, South Carolina. To read the entire article by Anne Marie Chaker, click here.

East African Wasp Helps Protects Trees in Hawaii

A black, two millimeter long East African wasp is helping protect wiliwili and coral bean trees in Hawaii from the invasive gall wasp. The gall wasp arrived in Hawaii in 2005 and quickly found the wiliwili and coral bean tree to feed and reproduce. The gall wasps feed inside these trees, causing the trees to become curled and misshaped. Severe infestations can eventually kill the tree. After much research, scientist found the East African wasp (Eurytoma erythrinae) and released it in 2008 as a biocontrol agent. Click here to read more.

Indiana and Kentucky's Least Wanted

Click here to view the most damaging invasive species in Indiana and Kentucky. The article explains what the species is, where it came from, the problem and how to help.