Chance's Garden Everything Forum Blog

I declare, "Invasive Species" is the most foolishly overused term in botany.

Invasion Definition:

An invasion is an act of entering a place or region by force, typically with the goal of conquering, occupying, or taking control.

Unless the species is overtaking, displacing and replacing the local ecology, then it's not invasive.

It's an immigrant.

Take Great Mullein for example. Not native to North America, but naturalized across the entirety of the continent. There's no plant insects love more, it's useful for medicine and butt wiping, it fits well within the natural ecology, and only overtakes areas where there's disturbed, low-quality soils.

That's a model immigrant. Brings nothin' but benefits and behaves itself.

But, I just encountered someone calling it invasive. Silly, really.

"Oh no, that plant isn't native! Remove it at all costs." Says the non-native person.

Hahaha.