New homeowner devastated after discovering concerning issue in yard: 'I just realized how bad our problem is'

You never know what you'll discover after moving into a new home, as even the best property inspections might leave you with something surprising.

One Redditor discovered this when they moved into a new house and found a highly invasive plant taking over everything.

"So I recently moved to the area and the house I purchased has a massive trumpet vine issue," they told the r/Muskegon subreddit.

They went on to describe how they thought they had dug up the source of the growth, only to discover it had spread.

"It's growing everywhere (including my neighbor's yard)," they said.

They also asked about resources that could help them eradicate the plant.

Reddit users jumped in to help.

"Have you already tried the Conservation District?" suggested one person. "They've been treating our Japanese knotweed off of a grant."

The original poster answered, "I haven't, honestly I just realized how bad our problem is."

While trumpet vine can attract pollinators, it's also an invasive plant that can grow up to 40 feet tall while covering fences, trees, and more. As the original poster pointed out, it can also escape a yard to take over the next yard available.

What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard? Mowing the lawn 🏡 Controlling weeds 🌿 Keeping pests at bay 🐿️ I don't have a yard 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Invasive plant species' ability to overtake their surroundings means they rapidly damage the ecosystem they are in and destroy the biodiversity, as they smother other plants and flowers.

Even worse, invasive plants can spread to your house, crawling up the walls and sometimes even getting inside of them. When this happens, homeowners often have to pay out a hefty amount to eradicate the plant and fix any structural damage left behind.

However, switching to a native lawn can help to avoid the headache of invasive plants. Native plants help prevent invasive plants from spreading, saving your yard while also making it beautiful.

Additionally, native plants allow homeowners to save time on lawn maintenance, as well as money. Best of all, native plants also attract pollinators to your yard, which is a boon for everyone since pollinators are vital in protecting human food supplies.

Even if you only plant a few native plants in a corner of your yard, you'll reap the benefits. You can check out which native plants thrive in your region, or use common groundcover such as clover or buffalo grass.

Preventing invasive plants in this way is far better than trying to eradicate them after the fact, as this Redditor learned.

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