INVASIVE PLANTS

What are they and how can we pull together to win the war on weeds!

Invasive Plants v.s. Noxious Weeds• Introduced from

another place minus its competition, and becomes aggressive.

• EO 13112 gives it legal standing on

Federal-aid projects.

• Harmful to agriculture, human health, and/or environment.

• Most States have noxious weed law giving them legal standing.

• 11 DO NOT• Some invasives are

already on State lists.

MY TOP TEN ROADSIDE INVASIVES:some are on State lists• Purple loosestrife• Phragmites• Leafy spurge• Knapweeds• Thistles, Canadian, Musk, Scotch• Star thistle• Kudzu• Russian Olive• Black locust• Ailanthus

WHERE DO THEY COME FROM:

• PURPOSEFUL introductions –• Ornamental, esthetics and hardiness• Erosion control problem solvers • Pasture grasses with forage values• ACCIDENTAL introductions –• Seed in imported crop Seeds• In ballast of ships• Animal vectors….birds and other wildlife• Vehicles, travelers, souvenirs,

construction

WHAT CAN WE DO TO PREVENT THEM?

• Disturb as little as possible• Specify weed-free mulches, sods…• Import NO soils into a project• Steam clean gravel at pits• Wash down equipment before moving• Clean off mowers between sites• Train crews to identify weeds early• Control before populations spread• Control before construction begins• Partner with adjacent landowners

AND DO NOT PLANT THEM, please!!!

• Find alternatives for erosion control• Eliminate shrubs and trees known to

become problems*• Honor adjacent State noxious weed

list• PLANT NATIVE PLANTS as possible• Train personnel to not use in design, revegetation, mitigation plantings* Educate public at the same time.

INVASIVE PLANTS, weeds of the global garden

Randall, John and Janet Marinelli, 1996

Brooklyn Botanic Garden, NY$9.95 or less on volume order…….(What not to plant and why not!!!)

READ

Common Roadside Invasives, a roadside field guide to showy herbaceous weeds in the U.S.

• Put a copy of this laminated field guide in the glove compartment of every person who works with roadside vegetation management.

• Not all of these grasses or forbs are in

your State at this time. However, invasive plants adapt and move.

• Be the first in your State to spot and eradicate a new weed invader!!!

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES:• Greener Roadsides, an FHWA quarterly Contact Bonnie to add to mailing list.• Land and Water Magazine, Ft. Dodge, IA• Ecological Restoration Journal, U of Wis.• North American Weed Management

Association (www.nawma.org)• National Roadside Vegetation Management

Association (www.nrvma.org)• Federal Interagency Committee for the

Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds (ficmnew.fws.gov or

www.invasivespecies.gov)* Roadside Vegetation website:

www.fhwa.dot.gov/roadsides

FHWA’s very own WEBSITE:

•www.fhwa.dot.gov/roadsides• Ecological approach to roadsides• Chapters of Roadside Use of Native Plants• Invasive plant BMPs and more• Previous Greener Roadside Newsletters• List of State and Division contacts• Improved calendar of upcoming events……• Related websites

www.fhwa.dot.gov/roadsides