What are "invasive" plants?
Invasive plants are those plants that spread rapidly with little or no assistance from people.  They can be expensive to remove and often difficult to control.  They often grow where they are not wanted, replacing more desirable plants.  Most invasive species are exotic, but some are native to this area.

View a list of Invasive Exotic Plants in Mecklenburg County

What are "native" and "exotic" plants?

Native plants occur naturally in a particular area.  Species native to North America are generally recognized as those that were here before Europeans arrived.  These plants grow well in our climate.  They require less care when used for landscaping, and they provide the preferred food and shelter for wildlife.

Exotic, introduced, alien, or non-native plants, on the other hand, have been moved by people from their native habitat to a new area.  Some exotic plants are imported for human use such as landscaping, erosion control, or food crops.  Other exotic plants arrive as "hitchhikers" among shipments of other plants, seeds, packing materials, or fresh produce.  While many exotic plants have little or no harmful impact on our communities, they are more likely than native plants to escape their intended habitat and become invasive.

How do good plants go bad?
Most invasive exotic plants have certain traits that allow them to replace other plants.  Invasive exotic plants generally

• survive a wide range of soil, water temperature, and light;
• reproduce early, often, in large numbers, and in multiple ways;
• grow rapidly for a long part of the year; and
• are difficult to control or kill.

How do invasive exotic plants harm our community?
Exotic plants lack natural enemies in their new environment.  They cause economic, environmental, and human harm by

Invasive plants quickly "take over" and can be expensive to control

• becoming weedy and overgrown;
• killing established shade trees;
• obstructing pipes and drainage systems;
• forming dense beds in water;
• lowering water levels in lakes, streams, and wetlands;
• destroying natural communities;
• promoting erosion on stream banks and hillsides; and
• resisting control except by hazardous chemical.

What can I do to control invasive plants?
The first line of defense is prevention.  Often, the cheapest and easiest way to control the spread of invasive plants is to keep them from growing in your yard in the first place.

Avoid planting exotic species.  Select native North Carolina plants and trees for home landscaping.  If you do select exotic species, avoid plants that are described as "fast growing" or "rapidly spreading."  Remember that wind, animals, or streams can carry seeds far from your home to other areas.

Remove invasive plants from your yard.  Replace them with native non-invasive varieties.  In addition, support large-scale efforts to remove invasive plants from your community parks and public areas.

Should I use native plants for landscaping?
Yes.  Native plants

• resist drought, require less maintenance, and are cost-effective;
• require fewer pesticides and fertilizers due to their natural adaptations;
• provide food and shelter for native wildlife; and
• reduce the chances for invasive plants to grow in your backyard.

Monitoring the expansion and impact of exotic and invasive plants is a task that can be accomplished at various levels. Traditionally, activities to study and monitor exotic plants have been the domain of research scientists, biologists and other professionals within government agencies, academic institutions and museums. The increasing impact of exotics on natural habitats requires that a broader level of participation in monitoring their spread is required. Naturalists, in particular, could greatly assist by contributing to the development of a comprehensive base of information that would facilitate efforts to control or slow the spread of exotic plants.  For more information, visit or call:

Kudzu threatens to overtake other plants near a tributary of McDowell Creek

Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council
http://www.se-eppc.org/
(919) 962-0522

National Invasive Species Council
http://www.invasivespecies.gov/
(202) 513-7243

The Plant Conservation Alliance
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/index.htm
(202) 452-0392

The Nature Conservancy--Wildlife Invasive Species Team
http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/
(919) 403-8558

A list of exotic plants of Mecklenburg County

• Bradford Pear
• Mimosa
• Princess Tree
• Tree-of-Heaven
• Autumn Olive
• Multiflora Rose
• Nandina
• Chinese Privet
• Rose-of-Sharon
• Bamboo
• Chinese Lespedeza
• Common Reed
• Ground Ivy
• Japanese Knotweed
• Japanese Stiltgrass
• Johnsongrass
• Air potato
• English Ivy
• Japanese Honeysuckle
• Kudzu
• Morning Glory
• Periwinkle
• Porcelainberry
• Chinese and Japanese Wisteria