Invasive Plants Overrun Much of America, Penetrating 7 Feet and Destroying Native Habitat
Updated
Updated · Daily Kos · May 14
Invasive Plants Overrun Much of America, Penetrating 7 Feet and Destroying Native Habitat
4 articles · Updated · Daily Kos · May 14
Much of the U.S., especially the Northeast, is being overrun by invasive plants that are destroying native habitat, weakening ecosystem resilience and severely affecting wildlife populations.
Species cited include Japanese knotweed—whose roots can penetrate 7 feet into rock—Callery pear, wisteria, English ivy, Japanese barberry and invasive reeds spreading along roadsides and into communities.
These plants contribute little compared with native species: shallow roots retain less water, anchor soil poorly and filter groundwater less effectively during heavy rain events.
English ivy and Japanese barberry also create favorable cover for white-footed mice and ticks, linking some invasives to higher risks from tick-borne illnesses.
The report frames the spread as an environmental catastrophe worsened by 'plant blindness' and urges residents and lawmakers to identify, map and control invasive species locally.
With climate change fueling plant invasions, are current bans and removal efforts enough, or do we need a radical rethink of how we coexist with new species?
Could America's war on invasive plants be failing because we underestimate their hidden economic and health impacts—and what will it take to truly turn the tide?