Botanist issues urgent warning about aggressive plant taking over yards: 'Difficult to control'
Invasive species are detrimental to biodiversity, ecosystems, and the economy.
A botanist is on a mission to educate people about invasive plants and why removing them is important. Posting on Instagram, the Invasive Species Guy (@invasivespeciesguy) showed people that the best way to stop Great mullein plants from spreading is to remove every plant they find. This is because a single plant can produce as many as 240,000 seeds, according to the botanist.
The botanist wrote that the plant was first introduced to North America from Eurasia in the mid-1700s as an ornamental plant but has quickly spread. As the Invasive Species Guy wrote, this plant "reduces biodiversity, is unpalatable to livestock, is difficult to control, can reduce crop or forage yields, and their star-shaped, felted hairs can cause skin irritations."
Invasive species are a big problem globally, costing billions of dollars every year. Invasive plants and animals outcompete native species, destroying ecosystems while hurting the economy that depends on them. Invasive species can damage crop yields and destroy property. For example, invasive feral pigs alone cause close to $2.5 billion in damages in the U.S. every year, per the USDA. By managing and removing these species, we can protect our economies and preserve resources.
Rewilding your yard with native species and removing invasive ones can help support local ecosystems by preventing invasive species from spreading. Native plant gardens are also much easier to maintain because the plants are adapted to the local environment. This means you don't need to worry about adding fertilizer to the soil or excess watering, saving you both time and money on yard maintenance.
There are lots of ways to incorporate native plants into your yard and reap these benefits. Trading your grass lawn for a more natural one can help reduce maintenance and water costs, while using landscape techniques such as xeriscaping — which uses drought-tolerant native plants and rocks or mulch — can help remove the need for irrigation.
Several commenters agreed with the OP's take on invasive plants.
"Zero tolerance for invasives!" one person commented.
"Thanks for letting me know," another added. "I kinda liked it in my yard but I'll definitely keep it out."
What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard?
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