Barbarians Are Not Always Ugly

Americans who haven't taken the advice of the well-known bumper sticker that proclaims, "Kill Your Television!" have very likely seen the Capital One TV ads that show some scruffy-looking barbarians invading and rampaging their way across the screen. I hope people don't extrapolate from these ads that barbaric invaders are always ugly. Many of the invasive plants at war with our native fauna are anything but that.

When you hear "invasive plant," you may think of something like kudzu. Not exactly a real "looker," is it? Nothing about the way kudzu looks would tempt you to plant some in your landscaping or show tolerance toward an existing patch of it. Unfortunately, as we survey the lineup of invasive plants, any correlation between looks and potential for invasiveness breaks down.

Today I want to share a resource that supplies photos of invasive plants, to aid you in identifying some of the "beautiful barbarians," if you will. My selections, which are as follows, are by no means meant to be exhaustive:

• Norway maples
• Silk trees
• Water reeds
• Creeping jenny
• Ajuga
• Vinca minor
• St. John's wort
• Dame's rocket
• Butter-and-eggs
• Common evening primrose
• Purple loosestrife
• Common ivy
• Trumpet creeper
• Privet
• Oriental bittersweet
• Bird's-foot trefoil

Read article: Invasive Plant Pictures

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