Titled “Selective Plants that Threaten Chicagoland Native Areas” this Field Guide catalogs the top villains which are likely to be found in area gardens and backyards, and which cause the most damage to our natural areas. All of these plants should appear on your town’s noxious weed list (please check on this!) and all should be removed from gardens, yards and parks!
Dr. Kay Havens of the Chicago Botanic Garden supplied an initial list of 135 invasives identified by the CBG which we cross-checked with the Midwest Invasive Plant Network staff. We surveyed leading local professional Ecologists and Land Managers to pare it down and rank those that are causing “the most” damage. Their list of 32 plants is the doc on Dropbox. Then we surveyed area Garden Experts asking which ones are most likely to appear in residential backyards and parks. The result of that is the 12 plants that appear on the Field Guide attached.
