Why We Say “Not In My Backyard” to Invasive Plants

Invasive plants have established footholds in Middlesex County over centuries, arriving from Eurasia, Africa, and even across continental divides in the United States. They have traveled by many means, including the plant trade, shipping vessels, and even on our own clothing and gear. 

Unfortunately, numerous plants were introduced intentionally. Plants we thought would look nice as a wreath, or erosion control, or just a general pretty garden plant ended up “escaping” where they were planted and spread via seed (ex: wind, birds, people), parts of plants (knotweed), or roots (rhizomes or stolons).

Plants like burning bush (Euonymus elatus), dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis), or Asian Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) may have attractive qualities, but do not belong here just because we humans find them appealing.

Indigenous peoples moved plants within regions where those species already had established ecological relationships. In contrast, global trade and modern travel introduced plants across continents, placing them into ecosystems with no evolutionary context.

Invasive plants impact our ecosystem in a myriad of ways: creating monocultures, decreasing biodiversity, altering soil chemistry, harming native animals, shading out the understory, lacking natural predators, creating economic damage, clogging waterways, and increasing fire potential.

Garlic mustard, once established, alters soil chemistry and suppresses native plant growth. Asian bittersweet climbs and girdles trees and shrubs, eventually killing them. Monarch butterflies mistake black swallowwort for native milkweed; caterpillars that feed on it die. Burning bush may be dazzling in autumn, but it produces berries that native fauna cannot digest and readily disperse, crowding out more ecologically valuable species. The unripe berries of Glossy buckthorn can act as a strong laxative which weakens birds by increasing dehydration and nutrient uptake. It can also create dense shade making it difficult for native plants to grow underneath.

So what plants are invasive and what can we do about them? There are a lot of invasive plants in Massachusetts and beyond. There are even plants that are potentially invasive and might eventually go on the Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List. Lily of the valley, English ivy, and butterfly bush are also quite aggressive and spread beyond the locations they were planted in. 

Managing invasive species can take various approaches depending on what type of plant it is, how it spreads, what the root system is like, where it grows, how large the plant is, if it is toxic to handle, or if it is woody versus herbaceous. For instance, garlic mustard is an herbaceous plant, its roots are quite shallow even when they are in their second-year stage. These can easily be pulled out and bagged (especially if they have already been seeded). However, the seed viability of this species lasts six to seven years. Meaning manual removal of the mustard will take a few years to remove every plant. Water chestnuts can be pulled without worrying about too much regrowth of the same plant since it is an annual species. However, taking the entire plant out, including the seed head and seeds attached to the underside of the plant will significantly decrease regrowth.

No matter what method you use to remove an invasive species, it will likely take more than one year to get rid of an infestation. If you do not want to use chemical applications, keeping on every single plant and root is necessary to stop the spread.

Depending on the plant species, if it regenerates from a fragment, or has seeds/berries on it, disposal can vary. The surest way to dispose of any invasive plant is to bag and trash it. If there are no berries, and the entire plant is above or far away from soil, water, or other vegetation, you can dry it out completely and compost it (we would be careful with Japanese Knotweed as small, tiny fragments can regrow into a whole new plant).

CBS Boston. (2025, September 4). Pepperell retiree helps rid town of invasive plants. . Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFf54JfNfLw

On the other hand, Asian bittersweet is a woody vine, its roots and branches can get thick, the roots spread horizontally underground, and its berries can be spread by birds. Any physical removal of plants larger than seedlings may include clippers up to handsaws. All root material must be removed, or it will resprout.

Chemical control is sometimes necessary for certain invasive species, though non-chemical methods are often preferred. Herbicides should not be broadly applied across large areas, as they can affect non-target vegetation and enter nearby soil and waterways. When chemical treatment is warranted, targeted techniques such as stem injection or direct application to cut stems or roots can minimize impacts on surrounding plants. These approaches are often used for species such as Japanese knotweed, which may be difficult to control through manual removal alone.

Additional management strategies may be available depending on the species. In some cases, researchers have developed biological control agents that target a specific invasive plant, though these programs typically require extensive research, testing, and funding. Prescribed burning may also be an effective management tool in appropriate settings. Following removal, establishing competitive native vegetation can help prevent invasive species from recolonizing the site.

Friends of Acadia. (2013, June 27). Bush Honeysuckle Timelapse. . Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/69269461?fl=pl&fe=vl