Invasive Exotic Plant “Sleeper Cells”
What was once, a group of “non invasive” exotic landscape plants, have now become destroyers. It happened while we were sleeping. They seemed innocent enough, but something, or some things, have changed, and now we have some serious thinking to do, about an increasingly serious problem.
A growing invasive species problem.
My years of continuous experience in the forests of East Texas and other areas, in a variety of capacities, have shown me that the problem is increasing geometrically. Plant populations of such seemingly innocuous species as Honeysuckle, (a Japanese import) Japanese Silk Tree, (mistakenly called mimosa by many) China Berry, Wisteria, and Oriental Privet are now eating forests at an incredible rate of speed!
Landscape plants join the invasion.
Landscape plants join the invasion.
I mention these in particular, because they were once used as landscape plants, and even after release into the native flora, remained relatively low profile for the majority of my life, until now! Their seeming dormancy for years underscores one of the problems with non native flora. They may be innocuous, until conditions change slightly. Weather patterns, symbiotic relationships between newly introduced flora, and other factors may turn them from small sleeper cells, to major armies!
Bigger problems, mega invaders.
Those are the little problems, which amount to large problems when taken together. The serious problems are such plants as Kudzu, from China, Giant Salvinia , and Water Hyacinth from South America, Hydrilla, and Eurasian Milfoil from Europe, Asia, and Africa.
These plants have had relatively short times in the Southern U.S., but have caused colossal difficulty, costing billions in damage and control efforts during their short stay. Kudzu, like almost all such invaders, was relatively tame in the Northern portions of the country, where it was imported as a forage plant. When it was introduced into the South for forage, and erosion control, things changed. The warmer temperatures, fertile soils, high humidity, and longer growing seasons sent it into a growing frenzy, eating millions of acres as it grew. The same is true of the other plants mentioned above.
There are more in the wings!
September 2, 2008
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james В· 
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Tags: Chinaberry, Exotic plants, Invasive plants, Invasive species, Japanese Silk Tree, Privet, Wisteria В· Posted in: Biodiversity, Invasive plants, Invasive species, Native habitat, Native plants, Non native plants, Shrubs, Trees, Vines, Water
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