A Virginia resident is butting heads with her homeowners association over the plants in her garden, according to FFXnow.
Fairfax County resident Radhika Murari had milkweed planted in her garden, but complaints from a neighbor have reached her HOA. The plant is toxic to cats and dogs, but it is also toxic to one particular invasive species.
"The Reston Association is threatening me — with fines and legal action — unless I kill the one plant known to stop spotted lantern flies: milkweed," Murari told FFXnow. "In the middle of an ecological crisis, Reston Association wants to rip out the solution."
Spotted lanternfly has been a ballooning problem striking multiple regions. Like other invasives, spotted lanternflies have been able to escape the natural checks and balances of their native habitat and have rapidly outcompeted species local to North America. Over time, this has created a monopoly on vital resources, a decline of biodiversity, and a loss of ecosystem services.
Some researchers estimate that this spiral of invasive species damage costs society hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
Besides tackling invasive species, milkweed provides vital habitat for monarch butterflies, which have seen steep population declines for years.
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Native gardens can provide plenty of support for pollinators and other local wildlife since these species have evolved for the local conditions. That includes adaptations to the climate, so native plants are drought-resistant, which means less money spent on water and less time spent on maintenance.
While HOAs often pose a hurdle to sustainable practices, it's entirely possible to work with them to change bylaws for the better. For the time being, Murari is sticking to her guns on milkweed.
"It's exactly what Reston should be encouraging if we care about the health of our environment and our children's future," she said, per FFXnow.
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