Be
PlantWise is a partnership between the National
Park Service,
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower
Center, The
Garden
Club of America, and the National Invasive Species Council to educate
the public and communities
about best
management practices to prevent harmful invasive plants from invading
parklands and natural areas.
Download PDF of the the PlantWise Brochure (848 KB) or Poster (3.7 MB).
PLANT WISE GUIDELINES
1. Know your plants. When gardening, plant species that are not listed on the
Federal noxious weed list for your state, and find out what plants
are causing
problems in parks or natural areas in your region to make sure you
know what species to avoid. Visit USDA
Plants Noxious Weeds List for your state. 2. Use non-invasive
alternatives. Ask a local nursery about non-invasive plant alternatives.
Native plants often have similar characteristics as invasives without
the damaging ecological side effects. 3. Watch out for invasive plant hitchhikers. Check clothes, belongings, and vehicles for seeds
and pieces of plants. Many invasive plants are spread to new places when
they
become attached to these things and then drop off somewhere new. 4. Have a care
if you share. Many invasive plants move around because they are
attractive garden plants. Do not share cuttings, seedlings or plants
that are invasive
with neighbors and friends. 5. Use only seed mixes that are invasive
plant free. Some invasive plants were introduced because they
were contaminants in wildflower and grass seed mixes. Check the ingredient
lists of seed
mixes to make sure that invasive plants are not included. Try
to purchase seed mixes from reputable manufacturers that guarantee the
purity and
content of their seed. Take your regional native plant list with you
when you buy
the mix.
To learn more about native plants in your area, visit
www.wildflower.org and select “explore plants” to
explore your states native plants. 6. Use weed-free soil and mulch
mix Some invasive plants are introduced because they
were contaminants in landfill soil and mulch mixes. Try to
purchase seed mixes from reputable
manufacturers that guarantee the purity or weed-free content
of their soil and mulch mixes. (Look for a tag that says “Certified
weed free.”) 7. Be especially careful with aquatic plants. Don’t just dump them!! Invasive aquatic plants were often
introduced as attractive water garden and aquarium decorations.
Visit www.habittitude.net to learn more about invasive aquatic plants
and conservation of aquatic resources. See Habittatitude 8.
Keep an eye on new sprouts and volunteers. Invasive plants can come from anywhere and spread
very quickly. Some invasive plants make attractive additions to our gardens
but can spread
very quickly by producing lots of seedlings. Control your invasive
garden plants by hand-pulling or mowing unwanted seedlings to prevent
them from growing to
maturity. (Regular mowing or use of barriers.) Be aware of
what is coming up in your yard, and take care to control these new invasives. 9. Dispose of invasive
plants carefully. When pruning or removing parts of or whole invasive
plants consider whether there are any seeds, fruits or cuttings that
could resprout. Try freezing
seeds, fruits and cuttings or burning them if it is permitted
in your area, as this will make them nonviable. Or consider pruning or
removing invasive plants
before they produce fruit or seeds. (When removing the plant
either burn, bag or freeze before you dispose.) 10. If you can’t part with your invasive
plant, remember – contain it, control it, or cage it. Please be responsible. If you have a plant in your garden that has invasive tendencies,
take special steps to keep it in your garden like inserting
root barriers, trimming regularly,
or harvesting fruits or seeds before they are spread. PLANT WISE ASSOCIATES
PLANT WISE CONTACTS
Damon Waitt
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
dwaitt@wildflower.org
Linda Drees
National Park Service
linda_drees@nps.gov
  
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