Invasive Plants

Lately, I’ve been wondering about invasive plants – humans bring them from other places and they do harm to the existing native plants and ecosystems. But are they all bad? Are species that invade new locations simply a likely and ultimate course of living things moving on the planet Earth?

I also looked at this from the lens of human movement from one place to the other. I moved from Massachusetts on the East Coast to California on the West Coast. Am I an invasive species? I came here to contribute to my new community, but I also brought my fossil fuel burning habits of driving cars and flying on airplanes.

Likewise, why are immigrants considered “invasive” in this political climate? My family immigrated just 2 generations ago, and like so many other immigrants, contributed to society, culture, science and more.

Anyway. Here are some invasive plants stories. Are they harmful? Do they fill a void in altered ecosystems or are they a neutral addition to a local ecosystem?

Kudzu (Scientific name Pueraria montana) is a fast growing invasive plant in the US South, where it covers and chokes out native plants by blocking sunlight. But it’s not all bad – Kudzu prevents soil erosion and is eyed as a biofuel source for alternative energy.

Endangered eats invasive: Galapagos tortoises feed on tasty invasive plants. It’s a win-lose situation.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150406120857.htm

Rosy tipped Ice plants (Scientific plant family name Aizoaceae) grow densely on the California coast.

Originally from South Africa, this beautiful succulent is successful in roadside erosion control - but it's considered a weed, crowding out native plant species.