Native & Exotic-Invasive Plant Resources

What are native plants?

Plants that are native are species that are naturally occuring in a region. They have evolved over time, & adapted to the conditions there; the climate, soil, & land formation.

What are the benefits of native plants?

• They support our ecosystem by providing habitat & food sources for our local birds, insects, & mammals.
• They support pollinators. Some like our monarch, are endangered!
• Some have extensive, deep root sytems that can aid in: stabilizing soil, uptaking large amounts of water, fixing nitrogen in the soil, & breaking up compacted soil or clay.
• In a garden or residential setting they can be lower maintenance, as they are adapted to the local climate, provided that they are planted with soil & sun preferences in mind.

Are these in your yard?

• Passion flower (passaflora incarnata)
• Paw paw (Asimina triloba)
• Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) supports Zebra Swallowtail butterfly
• Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) supports Monarch butterfly
• Purple cone flower (Echinacea purpurea)
• Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans)
• Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
• Beauty berry (Callicarpa americana)

Resources for native plants

• East TN - Landscaping with natives

• Hamilton County checklist of native plants

• TN Valley Wild Ones are Chattanooga's local chapter of a national nonprofit dedicated to promoting the use of native plants in landscaping and other sustainable land management practices. Check out their monthly free educational offerings, annual Symposium at UTC, Certificate in Native Plants educational program in partnership with Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center, their native plant pollinator garden grants for schools, and pop-up garden tours.

• The Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center is an environmental learning hub & local non profit that has over 300 acres of preserved land. They are home to many species of native plants & have a biannual native plant sale.

• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterLady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a great resource to explore information & photos of native plants.

• The PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories

_{Images, clockwise: TN coneflower - Echinacea tennesseensis, Zebra swallowtail on buttonbush - Cephalanthus occidentalis (watts_photos licensed under CC BY 2.0), Trumpet vine - Campsis radicans (Trompetenblume mit Biene by Gertrud K. under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0), passion flower - Passiflora incarnata( "Common Passion Flower" by Just chaos is licensed under CC BY 2.0), beautyberry - Callicarpa americana, Monarch butterfly on milkweed (Monarch butterfly by watts_photos under CC BY 2.0), columbine - Aquilegia canadensis}

What are exotic-invasive plants?

Exotic-invasive plants are non-native species that have been introduced by humans, either purposefully or on accident- that threaten native plant & animal communities, & subsequently the environment. Many of these were introduced in the landscaping trade, & some are even still used that way. Always research the plants you are introducing to your yard or other landscapes. 

Why are exotic-invasive plants bad for the environment?

• Exotic-invasive plants out compete our native species. They have no natural predators here, so they flourish & can take over native plant & animal communities, & in some cases spread out of control (a good example is Kudzu).
• They alter ecosystems.
• They alter nutrient cycling.

Are these in your yard? 

These exotic-invasives are very common in Chattanooga. They will grow in forests, or garden, fields, etc. They are harder to control than typical garden weeds. Species specific management resources will help you eradicate these from your landscape. Unguided efforts can sometimes make the growth of these plants more aggressive or erratic, making management more difficult. Research will help you work smarter not harder.

• Nandina (Nandina domestica)
• English ivy (Hedera helix)
• Winter creeper (Euonymus fortunei)
• Privet (Ligustrum sinense)
• Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda)
• Kudzu (Pueraria montana)
• Honey suckle bush (Lonicera mackii)

Resources for addressing exotic-invasive plants

• Tennessee Invasive Plant Council 
• TNIPC Homeowner's guide
• RIP up invasives 

_{Images from bugwood.org, clockwise: Nandina - Nandina domestica (Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut), English ivy - Hedera helix (Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia), honeysuckle - Lonicera maackiii (Richard Gardner), wisteria - Wisteria floribunda (Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University), privet - Ligustrum sinense (James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service), kudzu - Pueraria montana (Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut), wintercreeper - Euonymus fortunei (Chris Evans, University of Illinois).}

How can I help?

Start with your yard! Resources for residential sites

• The UT Institute of Agriculture's Tennessee Smart Yards has resources for creating a yard that works in harmony with nature, as well as a native plant database. 

• The Ecological Landscape Alliance advocates for ecological landscape practices through education, collaboration, and outreach.

Get Involved! The City of Chattanooga has many opportunities to learn and volunteer

• Rain Garden Guardians  
• Chattanooga Park Stewards
• RainSmart