• VISITthe Preserve
    • Plan Your Visit
      • Purchase Tickets
      • Hours and Admission
      • Directions
      • Map
      • Visitor Center
      • Tips for Visitors
    • What’s in Season
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Things to See and Do
      • Calendar
      • Follow the Trails
      • For Kids & Families
      • For Birders
  • EXPLOREthe Grounds
    • A Sense of Place
      • Virtual Tour
      • Geology
      • Historic Land Use
      • History of the Preserve
    • Special Habitat Areas
      • Meadow
      • Aquetong Meadow
      • Penn’s Woods
      • Heritage Forest
      • Limestone Habitat
      • Founders’ Pond
      • Pond
      • Pidcock Creek, Dam & Mill Race
      • Green Labyrinth
    • Historic Elements
      • Stone Arch Bridge
      • Log Cabin
      • The Captain James Moore Pavilion
    • News
      • Twinleaf Newsletter
      • In the News
      • Accreditations & Affiliations
  • GROWNative Plants
    • About Native Plants
      • What is a Native Plant?
      • What is a Plant Community?
      • Why are Native Plants and Plant Communities Important?
      • Plant Stewardship at the Preserve
    • Native Plant Nursery
      • Buying Native Plants
      • Native Plant Catalog
      • Grow Houses
      • Plant Grants
    • Garden with Natives
      • Why Native Plants Matter
      • Native Plant Benefits
      • Understanding Plant Communities in Your Garden
      • Attracting Birds, Bees and Butterflies
      • Transitioning Your Garden
      • Get Started
      • Native Plant Profiles from A to Z
      • Right Plant, Right Place
      • Maintaining Your Garden
      • Invasive Species
      • What Threats Do Invasives Pose to Our Native Plant Communities?
    • Living Museum Collection of Native Plants
      • Curation & Acquisitions
      • Partnering with the Community
      • Contributing to Our Plant Collection
  • LEARN& Discover
    • Calendar
    • Tour the Preserve
      • Guided Wildflower Walks
      • Self-Guided Walks
      • Group Tours
    • Talks, Walks, & Lectures
      • Exploring Nature
      • Thursday Night Nature
      • Winter Lecture Series
      • Knowing Native Plants
      • Growing Native Plants
      • Specialty Walks
      • Workshops & Events
        • Ecology & Conservation
        • Art, Health & Nature
        • Birding Programs
        • Penn State Extension Programs
    • Kids & Family Programs
      • Children’s Summer Reading
      • Nature Buddies
      • Nature Explorations
      • Schools & Scouts
        • School Group Tours
        • Off-Site Programs
        • Scout Tour and Badge
    • Become a Naturalist
      • What is a Naturalist?
      • Ask a Naturalist
      • Naturalist Training Overviews
      • Core Training
      • Advanced Training
      • Supplemental Learning
      • Naturalist Fulfillment
    • Conferences & Symposia
      • Land Ethics Symposium
      • Land Ethics Award
      • Native Plants in the Landscape Conference at Millersville
    • Videos
  • PEOPLEof the Preserve
    • Our Story
      • Our Mission
      • What Makes Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve Unique
    • Our Board & Advisors
      • Board of Trustees
      • Advisory Council
    • Our Staff
    • Our Volunteers
    • Voices of Our Volunteers
  • SPECIALEvents
    • Spring Wildflower Gala
      • About the Gala
      • Gala Sponsors & Sponsorship
      • Gala Auction
    • Your Event at the Preserve
      • Wedding & Event Venues
      • Policies & Fees
  • JOIN US& Support
    • Become a Member
      • Levels of Membership
      • Join Now!
      • Library Pass Program
    • Become a Volunteer
      • Opportunities for Everyone
      • Opportunities for Teens
      • Naturalist
      • Corporate Groups/Service Groups
      • Special Projects
      • Volunteer Application
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Give a Gift
      • Annual Fund
      • Endowment Fund
      • Memorial & Tribute Gifts
      • Bequests
      • Form 990
    • Become a Sponsor
      • Land Ethics Symposium
      • Native Plants in the Landscape Conference Millersville
      • Spring Wildflower Gala
    • Additional Sponsorship Opportunities
      • Pocket Habitats in the Community
      • Become a Business Partner
        • Become a Partner
BUY NATIVE PLANTS
GIVE A GIFT TODAY
Contact Us
Bowman's Hill Wildflower PreserveBowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve
  • VISITthe Preserve
    • Plan Your Visit
      • Purchase Tickets
      • Hours and Admission
      • Directions
      • Map
      • Visitor Center
      • Tips for Visitors
    • What’s in Season
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Things to See and Do
      • Calendar
      • Follow the Trails
      • For Kids & Families
      • For Birders
  • EXPLOREthe Grounds
    • A Sense of Place
      • Virtual Tour
      • Geology
      • Historic Land Use
      • History of the Preserve
    • Special Habitat Areas
      • Meadow
      • Aquetong Meadow
      • Penn’s Woods
      • Heritage Forest
      • Limestone Habitat
      • Founders’ Pond
      • Pond
      • Pidcock Creek, Dam & Mill Race
      • Green Labyrinth
    • Historic Elements
      • Stone Arch Bridge
      • Log Cabin
      • The Captain James Moore Pavilion
    • News
      • Twinleaf Newsletter
      • In the News
      • Accreditations & Affiliations
  • GROWNative Plants
    • About Native Plants
      • What is a Native Plant?
      • What is a Plant Community?
      • Why are Native Plants and Plant Communities Important?
      • Plant Stewardship at the Preserve
    • Native Plant Nursery
      • Buying Native Plants
      • Native Plant Catalog
      • Grow Houses
      • Plant Grants
    • Garden with Natives
      • Why Native Plants Matter
      • Native Plant Benefits
      • Understanding Plant Communities in Your Garden
      • Attracting Birds, Bees and Butterflies
      • Transitioning Your Garden
      • Get Started
      • Native Plant Profiles from A to Z
      • Right Plant, Right Place
      • Maintaining Your Garden
      • Invasive Species
      • What Threats Do Invasives Pose to Our Native Plant Communities?
    • Living Museum Collection of Native Plants
      • Curation & Acquisitions
      • Partnering with the Community
      • Contributing to Our Plant Collection
  • LEARN& Discover
    • Calendar
    • Tour the Preserve
      • Guided Wildflower Walks
      • Self-Guided Walks
      • Group Tours
    • Talks, Walks, & Lectures
      • Exploring Nature
      • Thursday Night Nature
      • Winter Lecture Series
      • Knowing Native Plants
      • Growing Native Plants
      • Specialty Walks
      • Workshops & Events
        • Ecology & Conservation
        • Art, Health & Nature
        • Birding Programs
        • Penn State Extension Programs
    • Kids & Family Programs
      • Children’s Summer Reading
      • Nature Buddies
      • Nature Explorations
      • Schools & Scouts
        • School Group Tours
        • Off-Site Programs
        • Scout Tour and Badge
    • Become a Naturalist
      • What is a Naturalist?
      • Ask a Naturalist
      • Naturalist Training Overviews
      • Core Training
      • Advanced Training
      • Supplemental Learning
      • Naturalist Fulfillment
    • Conferences & Symposia
      • Land Ethics Symposium
      • Land Ethics Award
      • Native Plants in the Landscape Conference at Millersville
    • Videos
  • PEOPLEof the Preserve
    • Our Story
      • Our Mission
      • What Makes Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve Unique
    • Our Board & Advisors
      • Board of Trustees
      • Advisory Council
    • Our Staff
    • Our Volunteers
    • Voices of Our Volunteers
  • SPECIALEvents
    • Spring Wildflower Gala
      • About the Gala
      • Gala Sponsors & Sponsorship
      • Gala Auction
    • Your Event at the Preserve
      • Wedding & Event Venues
      • Policies & Fees
  • JOIN US& Support
    • Become a Member
      • Levels of Membership
      • Join Now!
      • Library Pass Program
    • Become a Volunteer
      • Opportunities for Everyone
      • Opportunities for Teens
      • Naturalist
      • Corporate Groups/Service Groups
      • Special Projects
      • Volunteer Application
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Give a Gift
      • Annual Fund
      • Endowment Fund
      • Memorial & Tribute Gifts
      • Bequests
      • Form 990
    • Become a Sponsor
      • Land Ethics Symposium
      • Native Plants in the Landscape Conference Millersville
      • Spring Wildflower Gala
    • Additional Sponsorship Opportunities
      • Pocket Habitats in the Community
      • Become a Business Partner
        • Become a Partner

Grow Native Plants

  • Home
  • GROW Native Plants
  • Garden With Natives
  • Invasive Species

Garden With Natives

Invasive Species

An invasive plant is a non-native plant that has escaped cultivation and proliferates aggressively in the ecosystem in which it was introduced, overwhelming and out-competing the native plants that should be found there.

According to the National Invasive Species Council of the USDA, an invasive species (plant, animal or pathogen) is “non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration; and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.”

Why are Invasive Plants Found in our Area?

Many invasive plants were first introduced into North America intentionally by humans, usually because they were considered to have ornamental value in our landscapes. Humans introduced others inadvertently when their seeds, rhizomes or roots piggybacked onto shipments of goods and/or livestock.

Usually the invasive nature of a given species was unknown before it was introduced, and it may have existed here for many years before it was discovered that the species had spread beyond its original planting through aggressive proliferation. In many cases this has occurred because of the absence of the diseases, pests or environmental conditions that would have kept the plant in check in areas where they are naturally found.

In contrast, there are many other non-native species that have been introduced to our landscapes from somewhere else, either intentionally or unintentionally, that have also become established here. These are called naturalized species, and as long as they do not threaten economic, environmental or human health, they would not be considered invasive species.

In many areas such as Bucks County, the spread of invasive species has been facilitated by habitat loss due to development and the fragmentation of natural areas. Invasive plants seem to prefer areas where there has been soil disturbance. Many are particularly good at outcompeting their native rivals for resources such as water and soil nutrients, especially in the early successional stages of disturbed soils.

Unfortunately, many species that are now listed as “invasive” in a given state or region are still propagated and sold in the commercial nursery trade.


What Threats Do Invasive Plants Pose to Our Native Plant Communities?

  • Invasives reproduce aggressively and out compete native plants, thereby reducing biodiversity and the health of the ecosystem
  • Invasives may hybridize with native species, altering their genetic makeup
  • Invasives may support other non-native plants, animals and pathogens
  • Invasives change fundamental ecosystem processes, such as the frequency of wildfires, availability of water and nutrients and the rate of soil erosion
  • Invasives are a nuisance, degrade habitat and are difficult to eradicate.

What Can I Do to Prevent the Spread of Invasive Plants?

  • Learn to identify the invasive species that have been listed for your state or region and their eradication methods
  • Remove invasives from your landscape, especially those that are spreading rapidly to natural areas in or beyond your property. Be vigilant. Deal with them early while their population density is still low.
  • Prevent new invasions by minimizing soil disturbance and bare soil on your property
  • Plant more native species, especially in bare areas, before an invasive takes hold
  • Assist with volunteer efforts to remove invasives in natural areas, such as BHWP
  • Join local land stewardship and conservation organizations.

Information on 10 Common Invasive Plants in the Delaware Valley

  • Autumn olive
  • Dame's rocket
  • Garlic mustard
  • Japanese honeysuckle
  • Japanese stiltgrass
  • Lesser celandine
  • Multiflora rose
  • Narrowleaf bittercress
  • Oriental bittersweet
  • Wineberry

Resource Links

Mistaken Identity? Invasive Plants and Their Native Look-Alikes

Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas

Invasive Plants Field and Reference Guide (USDA Forest Service)

Invasive species ID and management

Garden with Natives

  • Why Native Plants Matter
  • Native Plant Benefits
  • Understanding Plant Communities in Your Garden
  • Attracting Birds, Bees and Butterflies
  • Transitioning Your Garden
  • Get Started
  • Native Plant Profiles from A to Z
  • Maintaining Your Garden
  • Right Plant, Right Place
  • Invasive Species
  • What Threats Do Invasives Pose to Our Native Plant Communities?

Make a donation to the Preserve today

Donate Now Help support all of our work

Become a member today!

Join today Membership includes admission to the Preserve and more!

EXPERIENCE WHAT’S NATURAL | LEARN WHAT’S NATIVE

Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve inspires the appreciation and use of native plants by serving as a sanctuary and an educational resource for conservation and stewardship.

Make a difference, become a Member today.

CONTACT US
Tel: 215.862.2924
Email: bhwp@bhwp.org
Mail: PO Box 685 | New Hope | PA 18938

1635 River Road | New Hope | PA 18938

Open in Google Maps

HOURS
April - June
Open Daily from 9 am - 5 pm
Last admission at 4pm

July - March
Open Tue - Sun from 10 am - 4 pm
Last admission at 3pm

ADMISSION

GIVE A GIFT TODAY
Preserve Login

© 2021 Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES | PRIVACY POLICY | SITEMAP