Invasive Ornamentals Control
Consumers must be careful when they select new garden plants. Some ornamentals may have been imported to the
United States for their aggressive growth habits, xeriscape potential or re-seeding capabilities. The very traits
that make these plants desirable for a garden or landscape may also enable them to thrive outside cultivated areas
and compete with native vegetation. Plants, such as Dalmation toadflax (Scrophulariaceae),
yellow toadflax (“butter and eggs ”) (linea vulgaris Mill.),
purple loosestrife (Lithrum salicaria L.)
and oxeye daisy (Chrysantheum
Leucanthemum L.) all started out as cultivated garden plants and are now causing millions of dollars in damage
to native landscapes.
There are several avenues to pursue to ensure that new plants do not become invasive weeds.
- Learn to identify invasive ornamentals. Use the Internet to research invasive ornamentals so that you can identify
plants that may become harmful to the native habitat of your region.
- Raise awareness through local garden clubs.
- Support regulation of the ornamental industry. For example, in 1999, the Colorado Department of Agriculture adopted
the Colorado Nursery Act that includes a list of weeds that are prohibited for sale in Colorado, including Russian olive,
myrtle spurge and oxeye daisy. Colorado nurseries or garden centers are required by law not to sell or contaminate
nursery stock with plant species that are included on this prohibited weeds list.
- Encourage responsible nursery suppliers. If you notice that there is a questionable plant for sale, notify the
nursery; then follow-up.
Southwestern Noxious/Invasive Weed Invasive Ornamentals Excerpt:
Based on a July 2004 presentation short course, Farmington, NM, by Cindy Lair,
Land Management Director, Louisville, CO.
Click the following link to listen to the audio excerpt:
Invasive Ornamentals
Click for problems with the audio file.
| Cindy Lair: just because a flower is an attractive plant doesn't make it beneficial or appropriate to our native ecosystems.
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| Narrator: Species, such as Dalmation and yellow toadflax and purple loosestrife have caused millions of dollars of damage to Western rangelands after escaping from domestication. |
| Joe DiTomaso: There's a lot of things the general public can do. They can use some of the good Web sites on invasive species on ornamentals to find out which plants in their garden are potential problems. But the main thing they can do is not to dispose of ornamental plants or any exotic species into a wild land environment where they can get established.
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| Narrator: For more information, contact a state Extension specialist or your local County Extension Agent. |
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