Winged Euonymous or                              Purple Loosestrife                                              Autumn Olive

               Burning Bush 

So who are these 'space invaders' and why should we care?  Space Invaders are plants (and animals) that are considered invasive species.  An invasive species is one that is not native to the area yet grows easily, spreads aggresive and quickly, and if left unchecked, will overwhelm native plants and animals.  For example - Asiatic Bittersweet is a vine that is so invasive, it has been known to wipe out entire forested areas.  The vine climbs the trunks of trees and proliferates.  Eventually the weight of the vine become too much for the tree to bear, and the tree falls. Meanwhile the vine simply travels onto another tree.

Invasive species are one the biggest threats to local biodiversity.  Biodiversity means the variety of life in a given area - this area can be a state, a country or even the whole planet!  As local plants are wiped out by the invaders, the variety life as measured in the numbers of species around, decreases.  A forest would'nt be anywhere near as nice a place to walk if all you could see were fallen trees and bittersweet vines.

Space invaders can cause other problems.  Most of them produce some kind of berry or fruit.  Birds who are trying to build up energy stores will consume hundreds of berries in the late summer and early fall before migrating to winter nesting grounds.  Unfortunately, many of the fruits produced by invasive plants are avian potato chips - they sure taste good, but they don't provide enough nutrition to help the birds.  The result can be disasterous for migrating birds.

The six space invaders listed above; Japanese Knotweed (AKA 'Devil's Cane', Japanese Bamboo), Asiatic Bittersweet, Japanese Barberry, Burning Bush, Purple Loosestrife and Autumn Olive are a few of worst invaders out there.  Sadley, many of these are still sold at nuseries for home owners to plant in their yards.  But rest assured, if you plant one of these in your yard, it won't stay there.  When birds consume the berries and travel to other places, their feces contain the plant's seeds.  It won't be long before that invasive plant is somewhere other than your yard!

So - how can YOU join the battle against the space invaders?  It's a lot easier than you think!  Before you put a plant in your garden,do some research it.   Try using native plants instead.  Native plants are more tolerant of the harsh New England weather conditions, require less water than non-native plants and usually look far prettier in your garden.  Pull out any invasive plants that live in your yard and plant those native plants instead.  The best thing you can do is to pass on what you know - and stop the attack of the space invaders!

  New England Aster

Wild flower that flowers in the fall.  Good source of nectar and seeds.

Some Native Plants of New England

Help fight the space invaders by planting these plants in your garden.

Remember: native plants use less water and  increase local biodiversity!

Be a Conservation Crusader! 

Winterberry

A deciduous holly that sports lovely bright red berries all winter.  The berries are an excellent cold weather food source for birds.

Mountain Laural

An evergreen flowering shrub that loves acidic soil and partial shade.  The foliage of mature plants provide excellent cover for nesting birds.

Eastern Red Columbine

This lovely, unusally shaped flower is a self-seeding plants that will provide pretty blooms and foliage for years.  Its shape and color make it especially appealing to hummingbirds.

Bleeding Heart

This old-fashioned flower blooms in the spring.  Plants get larger every year and are a great focus for a shade or rock garden.