A new guide to invasive plants is now available for gardeners, nurseries and garden centers, botanists, naturalists and other plant enthusiasts. A Guide to Invasive Plants in Massachusetts is designed to assist in the identification of 66 invasive plant species currently regulated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

These invasive plants are non-native species that spread aggressively and have been determined to pose a threat to Massachusetts’ native plants and habitats. The Guide was authored by Dr. Paul Somers, MassWildlife Botanist of the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Karen Lombard and Rachel Kramer of The Nature Conservancy and Bill Brumback of the New England Wild Flower Society. This guide is the result of a collaborative effort between state and federal agencies, private conservation organizations and plant nurseries to further educate citizens about the negative impact of invasive plants. In 2005, the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group (MIPAG) finalized a report on invasive plants and developed the 66 plant list with a determination of the relative threat of each species to Massachusetts’ native biodiversity based on the latest scientific understanding.

“A Guide to Invasive Plants is a user-friendly product for people who want to learn how to identify invasive plants in their backyard, neighborhood, municipal or conservation property,” said Dr. Paul Somers. “Invasive plants impact the Massachusetts environment by competing with native plants for limited natural resources, dominating habitats and reducing food and shelter for a host of native wildlife. This competition can cause forests, wetlands and meadows to become degraded, diminishing their ecological values and functions, as well as the economic and aesthetic values of Massachusetts natural landscapes.” In one year alone, Massachusetts spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to control aquatic invasive plants. This figure doesn’t take into account extensive containment efforts undertaken by municipalities, private landowners or lost revenue due to decreased recreational boating, swimming and fishing activities.

In the Guide, each invasive plant description includes a photograph, the plant’s regulatory status, key identification characteristics, habitats where the plant is likely to be found, type of threat the plant poses to native species and habitats, and its current distribution and place of origin. Similar plant species are also briefly described to aid in plant identification. The guide includes the MIPAG definitions of three categories of invasiveness, brief explanations of how invasive plants are introduced and spread, why invasives are a problem, where to learn more about invasive plant control, and the Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources’ regulations regarding their importation, sale and propagation. Useful invasive plant websites are also referenced.

Production and funding of the Guide was provided by the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and Office of Coastal Zone Management, the Massachusetts Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, the New England Wild Flower Society, the Massachusetts  Nursery and Landscape Association, and the Falmouth 300 Club. For more information about invasive plants and their impacts, go to www.mass.gov/masswildlife, click on “Natural Heritage” and then “What’s New.”

Copies of the Invasive Plant Guide will be available for free pick up at MassWildlife District Offices and the Westborough Field Headquarters. A shipping/handling fee will be charged for mail orders. Contact the Natural Heritage Program at 508/389-6360 or complete an order form. Copies will be available from the Department of Conservation and Recreation Lakes and Ponds Program in West Boylston 508/792-7423 x304; the Nature Conservancy in Boston, www.nature.org or call 617/227-7017, New England Wildflower Society’s online store at www.newfs.org or call 508/877-7630 and the Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association at www.mnla.com.

For more information on invasive plants in Massachusetts and the Mass. Invasive Plant Advisory Group contact:     

--Mass. Div. of Fisheries and Wildlife/Natural Heritage Program—Dr. Paul Somers, Botanist, 508/389-6344

--Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources—Brad Mitchell, Regulatory Affairs, 617/626-1771

--Mass. Nursery and Landscape Association—Rena Sumner, Executive Director, 413/369-4731

--The Nature Conservancy—Karen Lombard, Asst. Director of Conservation Science, 617/227-7017

--New England Wild Flower Society—Bill Brumback, Conservation Director, 508/877-7630 x 3201