Invasive plants in Michigan

March 18, 5:58 AMSoutheast MI Home & Living ExaminerJackie DiGiovanni

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Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

This spring, as plants emerge and shrubs come back to life, many non-native invasive plants are among them. This reminder is from the Wildflower Association of Michigan (WAM).

"Please be on the lookout for the following species in your home landscapes and also in natural areas you visit. The following are some of the most common and widespread invasive plant species in Michigan and the Great Lakes Region. WAM encourages you to remove these species from your home landscape when identified. If you see these species in your local nature preserves, parks, or public lands, please contact the steward or organization that manages the site and let them know where the invasive population was seen."

• Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
• Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) & Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)
• Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) & Glossy Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula)
• Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
• Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa or Centaurea biebersteinii)
• Exotic Bush Honeysuckles - Lonicera fragrantissima (fragrant honeysuckle), L. maackii (Amur honeysuckle), L. morrowii (Morrow's honeysuckle), L. standishii (Standish's honeysuckle), L. tatarica (Tartarian honeysuckle), L. xylosteum (European fly honeysuckle), L. x bella (hybrid, pretty honeysuckle) and possibly others
• Common Reed (Phragmites australis)
• Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora)
• Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum)
• Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
• Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) - please note, it can be difficult to distinguish between this species, our native species (Celastrus scandens), and hybrids between these
• Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

The WildOnes website provides a list of links to reference information on invasive plants. The following photos may help you identify the invasive plants listed by the Wildflower Association. Non-native invasive plants crowd out the native species and disrupt the local ecosystem.  

The first part of the slide show is below. The second part of the slide show will be in tomorrow's article titled More invasive plants in Michigan. 

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