Michiganders Have 6 New Invasive Plants to Watch Out For

Just when you think you’ve got a handle on Michigan’s invasive plants, six more get added to a list that never seems to stop growing.

Why It’s Important to Know Which Plants Are Invasive in Michigan

Knowing which plants are invasive is essential for protecting the state’s natural biodiversity, avoiding costly harm to agriculture and forestry, and preserving safe outdoor recreation. With its many state parks, federal lands, extensive farmland, and private property, it’s especially important to recognize invasive species and understand how to manage and remove them.

These aggressive, non-native plants spread and outcompete native species by taking over essential resources such as light, water, and soil nutrients.

Read More: An Opportunity to Own a Piece of Hell

Officials Identify 6 New Invasive Plants in Michigan

According to the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development, six new invasive plant species have been added to the list, which now includes more than 800 non-native plants found in the state.

Common buckthorn is a shrub or small tree that can grow up to 25 feet tall. It spreads rapidly through seeds dispersed by birds and other wildlife and may also serve as a host for the soybean aphid.

Callery pear, also known as Bradford pear or Cleveland pear, outcompetes native vegetation and rapidly forms dense thickets of trees that provide little or no value to the food web for insects, deer, and other wildlife.

Japanese barberry is a spiny, deciduous shrub that typically grows 1–2 feet tall but can reach up to 6 feet. Once a popular ornamental plant, it spreads easily when birds and other wildlife consume and disperse its seeds. Its thorny structure deters most browsing animals, allowing it to form dense stands that can also create favorable habitat for ticks.

Water hyacinth is found on lakes and wetlands. The plant forms dense colonies in water bodies that block sunlight and crowd out native species.

Water lettuce is free-floating and forms a rosette of leaves that resembles an open head of lettuce. The plant creates thick mats that reduce oxygen levels, block sunlight and prevent growth of submerged vegetation.

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Authorities are asking that you report these species to the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network.

👇BELOW: 10 Invasive Plants & Insects You Should Destroy if You Spot Them in Michigan👇