Invasive Plants Common in IBK
Invasive plants are imported exotics that harm Missouri's wild ecosystems.
They have no natural controls, grow fast, spread fast, and crowd out the native plants that provide habitat for wildlife.
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Autumn Olive
Medium to large, multistemmed shrub, often reaching heights of 20 feet. The leaves, borne alternately on the stems, are dark green to grayish green on top and silvery white below. The flowers are light yellow and the fruit ripens from yellow to red. For more information Click Here |
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Bush Honeysuckles
Bush honeysuckles are large, upright, spreading shrubs reaching up to 15–20 feet in height, with flowers that change from white to yellow; juicy red berries; and opposite, simple leaves that green up much earlier than surrounding native vegetation. For more information Click Here |
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Lespedeza
Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) is a warm-season, perennial legume with herbaceous to somewhat woody stems, with many erect, leafy branches. Since its introduction into Missouri last century, sericea lespedeza has proven to be an aggressive, invasive weed that is extremely difficult to control, escapes cultivation, and outcompetes native plants. For more information Click Here |
