A homeowner in Toronto reached out to Reddit for advice after discovering a suspicious plant growing in their garden. Since the OP has a pet, they wanted to confirm the new plant wasn't toxic to animals.
Redditors in the r/OntarioGardeners forum immediately identified the plant as common buckthorn, a highly invasive and destructive plant.
"It's toxic to animals," warned one user.
"Pull them up if you could," added another Redditor. "I call them tree killers … if they grow over 3 ft, it will be almost impossible to kill it."
Invasive plants like the buckthorn found in the OP's garden are detrimental to the environment and local ecosystem when left alone. These species compete with native plants for resources, crowding and overtaking entire swaths of land.
For homeowners, trying to successfully remove invasive species can be a major headache that is not only time-consuming but also expensive. Invasive species are often stubborn and difficult to remove, so even when you manually pull them up, they can still grow back.
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However, locating and identifying invasive plants in your yard is the first step in protecting your garden. One of the best ways to protect your yard from invasive species, though, is by installing a native plant lawn.
By growing native plants in your yard, you can significantly cut the amount of time and money you spend on lawn upkeep. Since native plants have adapted to the local ecosystem, they don't require as much water and fertilizer to grow healthy. As a result, after switching to a native plant lawn, you can save $225 on water and $100 on pesticides and fertilizers each year.
Adding native plants to your yard is also a great way to support the local environment. Native plants attract key pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, promoting the health of the entire ecosystem and protecting our food supply.
Even just replacing part of your lawn with native plants or clover is a simple way to reap some of these benefits.
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Definitely 👍 Redditors continued to discuss the consequences of invasive species and urged the OP to take action.
"You can prevent larger trees from coming back by grinding the stumps, but if they've borne fruit seeds will have been spread far and wide by birds, or throughout your yard," wrote one user. "It takes forever to break the cycle."
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