Spring is months away, but as warmer weather arrives, we can expect a familiar sight at garden centers and nurseries in New Jersey: a wide offering of non-native woody plants and perennials from foreign landscapes.
These plants may be attractive, with blooms or fall colors that stand out in gardens, or easy to grow for beginning gardeners. Unfortunately, many are invasive, meaning they won’t stay put where they’re planted. Instead, they spread aggressively through our native landscape, crowding out native plants, providing virtually nothing for pollinators or migratory birds, and seriously degrading natural ecosystems.
Unfortunately for this state, we’re in, Gov. Phil Murphy just vetoed a bill aimed at limiting the spread of invasive plants plaguing the Garden State. The bill had been passed unanimously by our state Assembly and Senate and would have prohibited the sale, distribution, import, export, or propagation of certain invasive plants without a permit from the Department of Agriculture.
Read the entire article at centraljersey.com
