More Harm than Good, Exotic Plants

One of the biggest threats to wildlife habitat anywhere is the invasion of exotic plants.  Often times, these exotics are introduced by the government (to improve grazing), nurseries and the aquarium/pet trade when aquarium water and plants are dumped into the local watershed.  Because exotics have an economic impact on agriculture, there are several government websites with information on fighting invasive species. We'll start with a list from Texas Parks and Wildlife:

Texas Parks and Wildlife says these species are causing problems by escaping propagation in our gardens and choking out native species, forming aggressive monocultures in our environment and destroying habitat for wildlife. Please avoid them in your Wildscape planning.

·       Japanese Honeysuckle

·       Pampas Grass

·       Nandina ("Sacred Bamboo")

·       Bamboo

·       Chinese Tallow

·       Chinaberry

·       Pyracantha

·       Wax-leaf Ligustrum

·       Salvinia

·       Red-tipped Photinia

·       Japanese Boxwood

·       Privet

·       Salt cedar

·       Arundo donax (Georgia Cane)

·       Asian Jasmine

·       Eleagnus

·       Eunonymus

·       Water Hyacinth

·       Water Lettuce

·       Water Spinach

If you've planted them, please consider putting them on your list to be pulled out and replant them with native species that will help contribute food to our native wildlife.