Day 1 of National Invasive Species Awareness Week!

Today marks the beginning of the National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW). Organizations around the country are raising awareness about invasive species and identifying solutions to deal with them. We at SICIM will be featuring different posts throughout the week about what you can do to combat invasive plants and other species. To start, we’ll take a look at gardening.

Tis the season of gardening magazines and nursery centers starting to contact customers about plant and seed orders. Unfortunately, many suppliers do not list whether a plant is considered invasive in a given area. However, here are some tips before ordering plants for the season.

First, please consult the Indiana invasive plant list before making a purchase at https://www.entm.purdue.edu/iisc/invasiveplants.html. Second, if a supplier has a small text section under a species along the lines of “Sorry, this plant cannot be sent to ______,” that is not a good sign, and most likely indicates it is prohibited to be sold there due to invasiveness. Third, some suppliers are not great at including the exact common name or a scientific name, so try to error on the side of caution. If it looks dubious, like fast growing honeysuckle or burning hedge, it is wise to pass it up.

By just avoiding using invasive plant species, you can make a difference, and your neighbors and the environment will thank you. See image for three of the most popular (and detrimental) invasive plants in landscaping. Stay tuned for upcoming posts about invasive species initiatives, events, information about choosing native plant alternatives, and how to get involved.