The Garden Invaders

In theory, nursuries and seed companies stay on top of what's invasive and will refuse to supply the means of garden ruin or ecological destruction; but in reality, that's not always true. The line between "trouble free" and "invasive" is often a slim one, and just as realtors often mean no plumbing when they describe an old house as "unspoiled", catalogs often mean "invasive" when they say "rapidly forms an excellent ground cover". Catalogues are hampered by commercial concerns while the best knowledge comes from local, always local sources.

You can also use the USDA watch list of plants that have been deemed invasive in at least one state. Click here to view their web site. It is updated regularly and provides valuable early warning for the Weekend Gardener who wants to save time from these pesky invaders.