Did you know that baby’s breath, bachelor’s buttons, yellow flag iris, and oxeye daisy (among many others) are all invasive plant species?
This means that these plants easily escape gardens and invade surrounding territories, where they outcompete native plant species. One of the most important steps in the battle against these invasive plants is prevention, and one of the best ways to prevent introduction of these species is to grow non-invasive alternatives in your garden instead.
For example, Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) is an ornamental tree, native to Asia, that was introduced to North America because of its attractive silver leaves, cold hardiness, and drought tolerance. However, this species is now invasive in Southern Interior B.C., where it uses up limited water and displaces native vegetation. Russian olive has edible berries that attract wildlife and contribute to its spread.
Plants that can be grown in the garden instead of Russian olive include Scouler’s Willow (Salix scouleriana) and Silver Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea). To learn more about beautiful non-invasive plants, Google “Grow me instead B.C.”
When choosing plants for your garden or yard, be suspicious of exotic plants promoted as “fast-spreaders” as these are often invasive plants and be cautious when using wildflower seed mixes as these often contain invasive plant seeds.
If you already have invasive plants in your garden, you can control them by hand pulling or digging them out. Also, make sure to deadhead flowers, seed pods, and berries of aggressive plants in order to keep the seed from spreading. Bag all plant parts and dispose of them properly (at a landfill), and keep in mind that most invasive plants shouldn’t be composted.
For more information on invasive plants, contact the Boundary Invasive Species Society at boundaryinvasives@gmail.com or 250-446-2232, and check out its new Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BoundaryInvasiveSpeciesSociety.
– Contributed by Kristen Small for the Boundary Invasive Species Society