When you have a beautiful natural yard and try to maintain your property value, the last thing you want is to clean up damage from your neighbor's actions. So imagine the stress when their invasive species creeps into your soil and puts your vegetation at risk. That's exactly what one Redditor is dealing with.
"I have multiple neighbors with invasive species which grow *right* at the fence line - buckthorn, rose of Sharon, to name a few," wrote the original poster.
They're currently hand-pulling anything that crosses over but wondered if anyone has dealt with a similar situation by confronting their neighbor.
Since the neighbor may not realize they're growing invasive species, having a calm conversation is a great place to start. It's easy to unknowingly plant non-native seeds on the property when even legitimate big-box stores and online plant sites sell invasive seeds and bulbs without warning labels.
However, everyone isn't cooperative, and you may have to escalate the matter. If you live in a homeowners association, you can contact them for assistance.
Don't have an HOA, and a direct conversation hasn't worked? Legal mediation is a possibility, especially if the invasive plants have caused quantifiable damage to your property. A lawyer in your jurisdiction can help explain what recovery compensation you may be eligible for if you have proof of such damage, per HG.org.
Invasive species left unchecked can be a costly headache to remove. What's more, they're detrimental to the local ecosystem as they compete with native plants for resources.
Redditors discussed how the situation may have occurred from a lack of plant knowledge.
"Your neighbor may not realize they are invasive and why they are bad," wrote one respondent. "Educating them might actually work."
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Mowing the lawn 🏡 "A lot of people who let invasives run rampant on their property are usually not really aware of what's growing," mentioned another Redditor. "Nobody likes to be commanded by a neighbor, and nobody likes being asked to do more work than they already are."
"My plan would be to plant something regionally appropriate that could compete," one user suggested. "It would be about three years of nurturing the intended seedlings and taking out the weedlings."
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