By Terry Loeb reporting for Native Plant News
It is likely that you, as a reader of this newsletter, are already interested in native plants and you are probably aware that invasive plant species pose a threat to the health of our native ecosystems. You probably already understand that a diverse native ecosystem is a healthy ecosystem, and that these steady-state systems took thousands of years of evolution to develop. In other words, this article assumes that you are already in the choir and no preaching is needed. Instead, my purpose here is to highlight three simple steps that “the choir can sing about” with others and together we can take steps to eliminate invasives in our landscapes.
While traveling in North Carolina, it is hard to miss the blooms of the Bradford Pears, Mimosa trees, and Tree-of-Heaven; the blankets of Kudzu, Porcelain-berry, and Oriental Bittersweet; and the waves of Miscanthus and Japanese Stilt-grass along our highways. The extent of the spread of invasives within public land presents an issue bigger than you and me. That is not to say a letter to your representatives, the NCDOT, or other municipal entities is not in order, but for this article, let’s focus instead on our local landscapes–that landscape on which we can have direct input or control over. Using the same lens as Doug Tallamy in Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope: let’s control invasives on our own patch of ground.
Around 80% of North Carolina land is privately owned. There are millions of acres of privately held non-agricultural land. Millions. If only 1% of that land contains invasive plants, that still translates to tens of thousands of acres. If those tens of thousands of acres of invasives are left to their own devices, they have the potential for exponential growth and can quickly become hundreds of thousands of acres of invasives. If all private landowners work to ensure that their property is free of invasive plants and planted with native species, then we can have a major ecological impact.

I recently developed a simple flyer to help share information about invasive plants species. The premise is The Three Rs:
Recognize – here are many resources available to help you recognize which plants are invasive. Truthfully, once you start to recognize them, you will see them everywhere. For the most up-to-date list of North Carolina invasive plants, refer to the NC Native Plant Society website. The list was developed by NCNPS and the NC Invasive Plant Council. For the backyard gardener, some notable invasive species to recognize are Mimosa trees, English Ivy, and Vinca, the various Ligustrum species, Bradford Pear trees, Asian species of Wisteria vines, Butterfly-bush, and the grass Miscanthus, just to name a few. Many of these species are planted as ornamentals and are, unfortunately, readily available in retail nurseries! A search on the NC Native Plant Society’s searchable database is a great way to start learning which plants are invasive. Scroll down to the section called “Native Status” and simply check “Not Native to the US.” This will give you a list of plants that are non-native and a notation if they are invasive, along with a wealth of other information. Armed with this knowledge, take time to walk your property and scan for invasives. Catching invasives before they get established and spread will make the next “R” easier.
Remove – There are many methods, including non-chemical, for removing invasives. Each plant typically has its own best practice. Depending on the extent of its growth, this can be a simple maintenance process like pulling seedlings, to a more extensive process like girdling or repetitive mowing. Resources such as the NC Botanical Garden Booklet: Controlling Invasive Plants, Invasive.org (the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health), and the Forest Service’s Nonnative Invasive Plants for Southern Forests: A Field Guide For Identification and Control, can be helpful. The NC Botanical booklet is an excellent practical guide for smaller areas and contains many useful resource links at the end. Invasive.org has great information about native plants and how to control them. The Forest Service guide is a chemical-heavy approach to invasive plant control aimed at larger sites, but the information on identification of many of the invasive plants and the “Sources of Control Information” at the end of the book are both excellent. Disposal of the invasive plants is an important aspect of removal. Have a strategy before you begin. Understanding how the specific plants you are combating reproduce and what stage of growth they are in will dictate their disposal method. The University of New Hampshire has a good publication on disposal (Methods for Disposing Non-Native Invasive Plants) on their extension website. Just remember, substantial invasions may take time and resources, so patience and persistence are key.
Replace – This is the fun part as well as one of the most important steps! Once invasive plants are removed, and the soil is disturbed, it is important to replant with, preferably, native plants to ensure that the invasive plants don’t return. There are many resources to help with this step. Planning ahead before removing the invasive plants is always advisable. Understand the micro-climate where you will be planting – soil moisture, sun/shade, soil types (sandy, clay, rocky, etc). Resources for planning such as wildones.org/ (see their Native Garden Plans for ideas); ncwildflower.org/ (see Landscaping Tips and the Searchable Database); https://ncbg.unc.edu/ (see Resources for Gardeners), https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/ (see the Design Gallery and Find a Plant Tool) are helpful for identifying plants and developing design ideas. My advice is always to look to nature for ideas. Walk in the woods and see what combinations of plants Mother Nature recommends for micro-climates similar to yours. Otherwise, a trip to Duke University’s Sarah B Duke Gardens (especially the H.L. Blomquist Garden of Native Plants), the NC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill, or the NC Arboretum in Asheville can be helpful. Like the “Removal step” above, establishing a native garden or re-establishing a native plant ecosystem takes time and nurturing.
This process of The Three Rs is a labor of love. Join your local chapter of the NC Native Plant Society, Wild Ones, or other community organizations that focus on native plants and animals. Facebook groups are another way to “meet” like minded folks and gather ideas. The more you immerse yourself in the process, the more you will find a community of support. And by all means share your knowledge with others and feel free to share the flyer.

Terry A. Loeb is a retired landscape architect (BLA) and biologist (MS). Her deep North Carolina roots date back to the 1750s in Gaston County. Passionate about nature, she has spent much of her life exploring the woods of the piedmont and mountain regions of the state. Terry is active with NC Native Plant Society and Xerces Society and volunteers regularly with Catawba River Keepers and Char-Meck StormWater Adopt-A-Stream program.