Demystifying Invasive Plants

“Invasive Plant” is the name given to a plant species that has become an environmental pest. Invasive plants grow aggressively, spread rapidly and displace other plants needed be wildlife. Most invasive plants are introduced from other places around the globe and have no natural controls. Invasive plants are undesirable because they are expensive and difficult to control when they invade native ecosystems. The main reason not to landscape with invasive plant species is because they are damaging our natural world.

The following dowloadable list shows invasive plants common to our region. These plants are known to invade our native ecosystems. The file also contains examples of native plants that may be used as alternatives to these pest species.

Southwestern Pennsylvania invasive plants