What Are Invasive Species?
Everyone in Southeastern US is familiar with kudzu, which has become the poster child for invasive plants.  Scenes of cars, buildings and entire fields engulfed by the plant have circulated over the years.  Introduced at the Japanese pavilion in the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, this ornamental has since become known as "the vine that ate the South".  

NC-IPC strives to prevent the next kudzu from invading our forests, crops, and our personal properties.  Here are a few examples of how invasive plants affect North Carolina:

  • It is estimated that $34.7 billion a year are spent managing invasive plants in the United States.  Introduction of invasive plants is injurious to our economy, our environment, and can even lead to human health issues. 
 
  • Invasive plants can displace native vegetation such as Longleaf pine, interrupting fire regimes and modifying soil characteristics.  The endangered Red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) is dependent on Longleaf pine trees to make it's home.  If these pine trees are not available, not only does the RCW have no where to live, but neither does the other wildlife that inhabits empty RCW nests, such as insects, frogs, and other birds.  This is an example of how the negative impacts of invasive species can ripple through an ecosystem .
 
  • Invasive plants change the landscape.  English Ivy, for example, creates habitat that allows mosquito populations to thrive, thus increasing the chance of mosquito borne illness to humans and pets.
 
  • Aquatic invasive plants such as Alligatorweed and Hydrilla degrade water resources by inhibiting recreation and clogging intakes.

Exotic, Non-Native & Invasive Plants Are a Problem

Lists of Invasive Plants and Noxious Weeds:
How do invasive species spread?
When a species ends up in a new ecosystem, it is considered "introduced". Often, invasive species are spread by humans who do not realize that these plants, animals and insects are highly destructive. Releasing unwanted pets into the wild or dumping unwanted aquarium pets/plants into the water are ways invasive species are introduced.

There are many activities that most people consider harmless but can lead to unfortunate consequences.  For example, people often acquire garden ornamentals they are unfamiliar with, range forage plants for cattle, or install plants for the purpose of erosion control or habitat enhancement. Sometimes animals and insects are introduced as bio-control agents (organisms used to manage other pests) without appropriate evaluation.

Unintentional spread of invasive plants can also occur through the movement of contaminated nursery stock, produce, packing material, ship/vessel ballast water, vehicles/equipment, etc.
Why should I care?
Everyone who lives in North Carolina should care about the management of invasive species because, unless we can reduce or stop their spread, invasive species will continue to require significant funds for treatment, management, and alleviating damage to public resources. In the case of landowners and buyers, infestations of invasive plants have the potential to reduce property value due to reduced land production capability and the cost of removing the infestation in order to reclaim the land.

If you love the North Carolina outdoors, recreate in the outdoors or are invested in a business that depends on the health of the natural resources of North Carolina, you should care about invasive species. Whether you are a hiker, biker, camper, bird watcher, gardener, fisherman, boater, hunter, logger, forester, rancher or farmer, invasive species can have a negative impact on you.
What can I do?
  • Join NC-IPC.
  • Take an interest in invasive plant issues.
  • Learn to identify invasive plants, especially those that are not yet in NC but have been selected as early detection targets, and report them to any member of the NC-IPC Board of Directors or to the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at 1-800-206-WEED or [email protected].
  • Participate in local conservation groups and volunteer for coordinated invasive plant activities in your community.  This will provide you with great opportunities to learn about plants, how to identify them, and now to manage them. 
  • Find out what is growing in your yard, and remove invasive plants.
  • Select native and/or non-invasive plant alternatives for new landscaping.  Check out the Take Action/Prevention portion of our website, the North Carolina Native Plant Society website, or the NC State University "Going Native: Urban Landscaping for Wildlife with Native Plants" program for suggestions.
  • Evaluate your activities, check out the following resources:
  • Habitatitude 
  • PlayCleanGo.org  
  • Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!  
For more information:
Presentations

Dr. Chris Moorman - Dealing with Invasive Plants in an Urbanizing Forest
Hancock - Invasive Plant Effects on North Carolina Coastal Ecosystems
Bonnie Harper-Lore - On The Move


Government Resources

North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Resources - Weed Regulatory Program
North Carolina Aquatic Weed Control Program
National Invasive Species Information Center
North Carolina Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan
Exotic Invasive Plant Species of Southern Appalachia (Lesson plan in US FWS Exotic Species Curricula)


Non-profit and Community Groups:

Southeast Exotic Plant Pest Council
North Carolina Botanical Garden
North Carolina Arboretum
North Carolina Native Plant Society
Southern Appalachian Cooperative Weed Management Partnership
Center for Plant Conservation
Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association
The Nature Conservancy North Carolina Chapter
MountainTrue
North Carolina Sandhills Weed Management Area
Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group


Publications and Other Resources:

NC-IPC 2019 poster of 10 plants
Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests: A Field Guide for Identification and Control