Most non-native plants pose no environmental threat in garden settings, but over the years some exotic plants have escaped cultivation, infesting natural areas such as our state and national parks and forests. Non-native pest plant invasions not only affect native plants, but the native wildlife and insects that depend on them. Some species also have become aesthetic and management problems.

Land managers of our national parks and forests are spending millions of dollars trying to control the spread of these invasive non-native pest plants. This is a monumental task on public lands alone, complicated by reinfestations from surrounding lands. Cooperation among public and private land managers is paramount if we are to effectively control invasive pest plants.