What are native versus non-native plant species, and why should we care?
Native plants are those species that either arrived in Maine without any influence of people, perhaps thousands if years ago, or originated here. Non-native species were brought intentionally, for horticultural or other uses, or came accidentally, such as in ships’ ballast, as crop seed or in soil. Some non-native plants continue to escape from cultivation and become naturalized in wetlands, lakes, woods, fields or roadsides.Because natural predators and diseases are left behind when they are introduced here, these plants have few population controls and can spread aggressively. Although species such as purple loosestrife, Japanese barberry, and Asian honeysuckles may be pretty, they can become serious pests. One long-term effect is to degrade the habitat for native plants and animals. These plants choke out native vegetation, diminish the availability of food plants for wildlife, and alter the behavior of native animals such as pollinators, plant-eating insects and fruit-eating birds.
