SerpApi.Org
A simple walk through a yard turned into a rapid-fire inventory of invasive plants.
What happened?
In a TikTok by Jess the Garden Coach (@youcandoitgardening), she assesses a yard by naming all the invasive species around her: "You have bittersweet, buckthorn, honeysuckle … multiflora rose, barberry, burning bush, wisteria, trumpet vine, poison Ivy, English Ivy."
Jess draws a distinction among the plants in the yard, noting Virginia creeper is "friendly but also kind of a hassle" and forsythia is "fine" and "good habitat." The warning was stronger for some shrubs that were once common in landscaping but spread "a little too quickly," with the creator naming privet, burning bush, and barberry. "This is now invasive," she said.
Jess also pointed out that invasive species regulations are not the same everywhere. As she put it: "So, that's an official classification. You can't sell this in Massachusetts."
The post's caption frames the video as a call to action. "I truly believe that if people understood how damaging invasive plants are to our ecosystem and how easy it can be to deal with them that they would choose to get rid of them," Jess wrote.
Why does it matter?
Invasive plants often show up disguised as harmless landscaping. They can spread into nearby woods and neighboring yards; crowd out native species; and reduce the food and shelter available for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife.
That can leave homeowners with difficult yard work and few healthy plants.
Replacing invasive shrubs with native plants can make a yard easier and less expensive to maintain. Native landscaping often requires less mowing, less fertilizer, and less watering, helping homeowners save time, cut maintenance costs, and lower water bills.
Homeowners looking for alternatives can consider native plant beds, clover, buffalo grass, or xeriscaping depending on their climate and yard needs.
What are people saying?
Commenters shared their struggles with invasive plants.
"Pokeweeds are my battle every year!!" one viewer wrote.
Another said, "Bought a house not knowing the neighbours had a forest of Japanese knotweed and three houses beyond them a MASSIVE mature female tree of heaven."
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