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Within only a couple of years, it forms dense mats that block sunlight to other aquatic plants – even though fanwort is a natural oxygenator, this incongruously results in plant death and decay, which in turn depletes oxygen levels overall and can cause water stagnation.Ģ. The primary issues with Carolina fanwort are its ability to choke out native plants and block waterways so that it’s more difficult for fish, animals, and watercraft to get through. This helps the plant to grow and spread quite quickly with little hindrance. It’s able to survive winters and even water freezing just fine, often retaining its green leaves throughout. Quite a hardy plant, fanwort can be found in permanent (not ephemeral), slow-moving or still waters at least several feet deep with mud or rich substrate where it can dig its roots into. Native primarily to South America, its attractive, vibrantly green underwater foliage and ability to oxygenate and filter water have led to its popularity and dispersal worldwide. In fact, it’s a restricted plant in Michigan and should be reported using the Midwest Invasive Species reporting tool. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, / CC BY 3.0ĭue to its popularity as an oxygenating pond plant commonly sold in aquaculture, Carolina fanwort (often just referred to as fanwort or cabomba) is of particular concern in Michigan’s sensitive waterways. Carolina Fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana) Carolina fanwort forms dense mats of vegetation, and can re-establish from broken fragments. Top Invasive Aquatic & Marginal Plants in Michigan 1. We will also be adding invasive plant lists for other states and countries, so stay tuned! If you’d like a plant guide for your area, don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know! And if there’s a Michigan invasive plant not on this list that you’d like to know more about, comment below! If you find an invasive species, whether plant or animal, please utilize the Midwest Invasive Species reporting tool to easily report it. For a complete list of all of Michigan’s invasive plant species, check out the detailed Michigan Natural Features Inventory guide. While there are dozens of invasive plants in this state, we’ll mainly cover the most pervasive and damaging ones. Read on to learn about the top invasive plants in Michigan, and some native alternatives that you can utilize in their place. We then lose out on critical ecosystem services, which are functions performed by nature that we depend on, but often take for granted and don’t even think about. This in turn results in an even greater reduction in ecosystem functioning, and, by extension, the natural resources that we depend on for survival, as only a fraction of the plant and animal species remain. Not only that, but insects, birds, amphibians, and eventually even mammals move out of the area over time as they lose the cover, food sources, and clean water that were provided by those native plants. In fact, often within just a few years of being colonized by invasive species, without intervention the wetland or waterway is at great risk of being choked out and disappearing altogether.
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For example, a wetland in the American Midwest that has lost much of its native vegetation, such as red-osier dogwood, rushes, monkeyflower, and pickerelweed to invasive species like reed canary grass and phragmites are much less able to filter out pollutants and excess nutrients. Invasive plant introduction to new areas by humans is one of the leading contributors to the loss of native biodiversity, wildlife habitat degradation, and damage to our vital natural resources. What’s the Big Deal? Aren’t They Just Plants? Invasive species outcompete and kill off native plants like this marsh marigold that performs essential ecosystem services, including water filtration. Every little bit counts! Your backyard garden can truly be a safe haven for many organisms. Making sure that we utilize only native plants here is of critical importance as we work to conserve the integrity of the Great Lakes, its unique plant and animal species, and the world’s largest freshwater supply. Here we are going to focus solely on some of the most notoriously invasive aquatic and terrestrial plants in Michigan. Photo by Liz West, CC BY 2.0Īs someone who has or would like to have a pond and/or garden, it’s exceptionally important to understand which plants are native and invasive to your area. Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) Though they may appear attractive, invasive plants kill off native plants and overtake areas, such as this field of purple loosestrife that has escaped landscaping.