invasive plants for michigan

Hi all, is there an official listing of invasive plants for michigan? (mid-michigan zone 5) I am always skeptical about any plant that says 're-seeds regularly' or 'naturalizes quickly'. I live in the country and worry that I will pick something that I won't like but then never be able to get rid of. It's not like I have many barriers to keep a plant in check (no sidewalks, paved roads...)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

things that have gone crazy in my gardens-this is off the top of my head.
wormswood
missouri primrose(evening)
datura-the one that is a weed(jimson weed)
milk weed-is a weed!
bouncing betty-oh yeah bouncing everywhere
anthemis

MINTS!!
these things just go on and on and ON

Here are a couple of sites where you can search for invasives by state:
http://enature.com/native_invasive/invasives.asp
http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi?earl=noxious.cgi

Donna :)

thank you Notmartha and TuttiFrutti. This is great info. I have hear alot about mints being invasive but didn't know about the wormwood or bouncing bettys (what a shame, they look nice).

The government site has a list of noxious weeds by state. These I know to keep away from. I am not sure what to make of the 'invasive plant' listings on both the government site and enature site though. I found listing for bradford pears, oxeye daisies...actually alot of plants you see in the 'shifty' plant catalogs (kelly nurseries, direct gardening...). I am not sure what to make of the lists though. I know the oxeye daisies grow wild around here but they are not over-kill and I know I can grow them fairly safely.

this is a great reference for me. if anyone else has experience with plants gone wild, please let me know....

thanks

gomyway.........Yarrow!....took two spray bottles of Roundup to get rid of it. May I suggest that if you like an invasive plant to plant it in a large container and bury the container in the ground to prevent spreading.....and make sure you deadhead so it does not go to seed...

How fun for you all that you get your own forum!!! :)

I just wanted to pop in and congratulate you all for considering the ramifications of invasives. That's responsible gardening :)

Just a note.... Truly "invasive" plants are non-native and have the potential to destroy natural habitats. A native, quickly spreading plant is a "wild" plant and will definitely be difficult to garden with, but will not throw the ecological balance off.

Milkweed, for instance, is a native midwestern plant (common milkweed) and is a necessary host plant for Monarch butterflies. The caterpillars have no other plant to eat that will sustain them! Simply removing the pods before seed set will do a great deal to control the spread. Milkweed is worth planting, IMHO, for the benefits of helping out the struggling Monarch populations. Any seeds spread into the wild will not affect wildlife in a negative way.

That said, let's remember that there are some non-native plants that are relatively easy to control in the garden, but pose serious threats to the surrounding area. Birds can eat seeds and spread them all over the place through their droppings. Simply keeping a plant within the bounds of your flower bed doesn't ensure that it's invasive properties are in check. Wind, birds, etc. can spread a non-native all over the place rather efficiently. State lists of invasive species can really be surprising with what they include.

Just my 2 c :) Congrats again on the forum :)

Hugs :)

Thanks hugahosta! I'm glad you brought up the advantages of a native species.

I have found that yarrow and forget me knots become very invasive. I find yarrow and forget me hots in every flowerbed where it was never planted. I had both in one area, but the seeds most be passed by the wind or birds.

Wild violets. They are pretty but very invasive. I am pulling and digging them out every spring but never can get them all.

Wild Violets! I have been fighting them for 14yrs. You can't even kill them with roundup.

I can't take the chance and use weed killer because they are growing in with my daylilies and I certainly don't want to kill them.So I dig out as many as I can each year, but every spring they are back again.

This message was edited Mar 24, 2005 12:17 PM

milkweed might not be invasive but they spread under sidewalks and everywhere! I leave them in the ditches now and not in the garden!!
ewww violets and creeping charlie=hate those!

I know about the milkweed. It comes up all over my garden. I pull most of them up but leave maybe a plant or two for the monarch butterflies.

im going outside to my GH to enjoy the sunshine!!!!! woohhooooo

Purple loosestrife is a major problem along the water ways of our area in Northern Oakland county. See it everywhere.

Hi,
Here are a few more "invasive" plant sites. Hope it helps.
Maureen

www.wildflowersmich.org/weeds.htm
http://www.michigan.gov/mda/0,1607,7-125-1569_16993-11250--,00.html
http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/wildlife/range/weed/Sec3B.htm

I thought we were talking about perennials that were invasive, and not the wild stuff like Purple Loosestrife which is the number 1 plant that the State of Michigan is having problems with. Here is my list of invasive perennials that are a problem in my gardens......They pop up all over every spring...which is how I get my babies to pot for Plant Swaps...


Mint of any kind
Coreopsis
Rose Mallow
Evening Primrose
Yarrow of any kind
Artemisia
Rose Campion
Jerusalem Artichock
Ribbon Grass
Obedient Plant

Obedient plant (physotegia, I think) is horribly self-spreading here in SW Ohio, too, deann. My poor Mom has a patch she just cannot get rid of. I've heard that you can plant it in an underground container to control the spread since it spreads by rhizomes. Also, the container can help the planting area stay moist, which the horrid plant likes. LOL -- I suppose it's not horrid, but I'm not planting it!!! LOL :) Pretty enough, bees like it, but it is anything but obedient! :)

I made the mistake of digging up a wild flower in some woods outside Atlanta, Mi a few years ago. Now I can't get rid of it. I am not sure what it is. I was told it may be a wild flocks. It has about a l2" stalk with pale pink flowers. I will post a pic for ID when it comes into bloom. It sends underground runners that come up everywhere.

is it the eveing primrose thats pink and a ground cover? i had that all over but one winter without snow and frigid temps cured it -GONER!!!

No Dori, it is a taller plant than the primrose. It is very hardy and I keep pulling it out but it throws runners underground. They even come up in the grass.

Does anybody have any pictures? Last year we planted a ton of wildflowers and transplanted a lot that was here when we moved in, and then I took ill late summer an was unable to finish or label anything. A lot of the plants comming up I can't identify, but assume they are perennials. Anybody any good at identifying plants without the flowers on them yet or know a website I can go to? I tried the ID forum with no luck..maybe other Michi~ganders will have the answers!

guybesbabycake........this site may have some of the plants coming up......If I could see them I do know some of them.....do you have a digital camera?? start taking pictures....as long as they have more then 4 leaves on them......

http://theseedsite.co.uk/

Deann

deann, yes I do and I will take some new photos in the morning Thank you!

OOps.. I took the pictures and they are posted in the IDENTIFICATION forum.. sorry. I did get one solved, it is motherwort, but the others are still a mystery!

It is Saturday, April 23rd............snowing like crazy here and I am worried I am going to lose all my perennials and of course the daffodils and tulips that have already bloomed. Any news on this???

Francee.........Your subject about this storm may be better suited on a different Thread in the Michigan Forum, perhaps This n That.

It snowed all day yesterday here, (Tawas Area) and since the ground is still warm, most of it melted as soon as it hit the ground. Weather men said it would accumulate during the night, and here it is Sunday morning, around 7:am....and its still snowing.....but melting....Mother Nature is giving us a break.....Unless we have a killing freeze, I think our perennials will be fine. I have all sorts of perennials coming up and I took a quick walk this morning as it began to to light up and everything looks good, even the daffys are still looking great.....My Weather Bug says more snow all day with accumulating snow as it was predicted yesterday, but I don't think its going to happen......

By the way........where is Scotts Michigan? I am learning about geography here in this Michigan Forum, so many towns I never heard of.

Deann

To those of you who are trying to kill violets and such with Roundup and saying it doesn't work...

Are you buying the prediluted handy spray bottle one? It is too weak for many tough weeds. Try using straight Roundup concentrate, a trick I learned as a landscape contractor. Pour a little in a butter-tub and apply with a Q-tip of little craft paint brush. This way you don't get it on anything other than what you want to kill off. Its a great way to kill off weeds in a ground cover bed as well where you can see it but cant find the bottom of it to get out the roots. Always use the weed killer BEFORE the plant goes to seed too or you are defeating the purpose by sowing babies everywhere when you remove the dead plant you treated. The straight concentrate application will kill 99.5% of obnoxious plants.

I incorrectly stated that Virginia Bluebells was invasive in my yard. I thought I said that on this thread but obviously it's somewhere else in the Michigan forum. I now have identified the invasive buggar as Lady Bells. Can't get rid of the stuff. Pretty plant but it must be contained. It spreads by underground runners.

Brenda

Brenda......never heard of it....can you take a picture........and how are the transplanted plants doing in AuGres???

Deann

Hi Deann,

So far all the transplanted flowers are doing great. I was shocked that my gas plants made the transition so well as they are NOT supposed to ever be moved. Some of my trilliam and brunnaria (sp?) are even blooming. I think the secret is to move them very early in the season just as they are waking up.

Here is a picture of the Lady Bells. I may dig some up and plant them along the woods and let them just run themselves to death.........that is if the deer and rabbits don't like them. :)

Brenda

Oh my goodness! Those Lady Bells are the plant that I've been trying to 'find' since moving to Michigan. They grew wild in our pastures in Nebraska. I always tried to transplant them to the gardens by the farmhouse when I was a young girl, but it never worked. Have been trying to find them since moving here, thought it would be nice to have something that reminded me of the home farm! LOL Wouldn't you know it, it's an invader!

Lori

LOL Lori,

It is a beautiful plant but it takes over everything. I'd be happy to give you all you want. The trick is to put them some place where you don't care if they take over I guess. I have no idea how close or far we are from each other. Let me know.

Brenda

Brenda....I would love some of those Lady Bells, are they growing in AuGres???? I would put them at my woodline .....The Trillium I transplanted last year has come up there and trying to grow different wild flowers there in a natural setting...

Deann

Another plant I would never plant again is Physalis Alkekengi - Chinese Lantern also known as Cherry bladder. Once planted, I could never get rid of it. Also, Campsis Radicans - Trumpet vine. I planted these two on the east side of our garage and they were protected from the afternoon sun and west wind. They never left. We finally moved, of course not for that reason, but I was glad I didn't have to deal with them anymore! LOL

I have a Trumpet Vine and it comes up all over the place. They are very invasive.

Sorry about the double post. The site is not responding well and I didn't think the post went through. Running very slow right now.

If you have a pond, be very careful if you get parrot feather for a water plant. The cold here is supposed to kill it but, quess what it doesn't just slowes it down a little.I pulled all i had out of the pond and it still comes back. DON'T let it get into a stream or lake.