Illustration courtesy of city of Mountain Brook
National Invasive Species Awareness week is annual event that raises awareness about invasive plant species and how to prevent their spread.
National Invasive Species Awareness week is annual event that raises awareness about invasive plant species and how to prevent their spread.
What is an invasive species?
A non-native plant species that has evolved outside a local ecosystem. Invasives are easily spread and increase their populations rapidly, and they do it at the detriment of native plant populations that support the local food web. With no natural enemies from their homelands to keep them in check, non-native invasives gain a distinct advantage over natives, choking them out of ecosystems that depend on them.
What are a few examples of particularly aggressive non-native invasives?
Bradford Pear, Mimosa, Privet, and Nandina are common examples that we see spreading all throughout Alabama. And of course, we’re all too familiar with Kudzu. During National Invasive Species Awareness week 2025, the City is focusing on Nandina Awareness.
What’s the City doing to reduce non-native invasives in Mountain Brook?
The departments of Planning/Sustainability and Parks/Rec are partnering to identify and map invasives in city parks and in traffic medians, as well as along roadways. A GIS program has been developed to specifically assist in the gathering of this data. This project will be developed over time, and when sufficient data has been collected and mapped the information will be presented to the MB Parks Board to review and determine which invasives may be targeted for removal, and what the schedule for removal might look like. So if you see us out there identifying plants up close, you will know what we’re up to!
A list of 13 egregious invasives that disrupt Alabama ecosystems:
- Mimosa
- English Ivy
- Kudzu
- Wisteria
- Chinese Privet
- Chinese Parasol
- Bamboo
- Bradford Pear
- Japanese Honeysuckle
- Nandina
- Japanese Barberry
- Orange Daylily
- Lesser Celandine
To learn what you can plant in place of Nandina, visit the Master Gardeners of Piedmont Alternatives to Nandina.
