Not All Introduced Species Are Invasive
The word “native” to a well-informed Texas Master Naturalist is different from what is advertised in box stores. “Texas native” might very well be indigenous, but remember that El Paso in west Texas is 830 highway miles from Beaumont on the opposite border; annual rainfall between those extremes can differ by a couple dozen inches or more. Their geology and climate are also in stark contrast.
“Cultivars (or “nativars”) are clever names we’ve given to plants fiddled with by humans to promote certain qualities and features, like bigger blooms or leafier vegetation. DNA modifications often come at the expense of something else, much to the detriment of the insect wildlife — think bees and butterflies — that use them. Like dogs from wolves, these human-created Frankenstein plants are far removed from the countries they historically inhabited, from the natives they once were.
When you’re a plant evolved over thousands of years to preferred soil, precipitation, climate, and wildlife relationships, locality really matters!
Native (noun) – an organism indigenous to the area it inhabits, coevolved to other organisms also in the system
Merriam-Webster
Species that become invaders are from other parts of the world, far from Texas borders.
Fort Bend Creatures Gone Wild
Around 10% of introduced plants become invasive in Texas. They arrive to Texas usually without the ecological system they evolved with. Sometimes, they are able to grow and thrive unchecked by our system, outcompeting native species. They spread in destructive ways … they become ecosystem destroyers. The Texas Master Naturalist curriculum textbook states that invasive species are “the second leading cause of declining species diversity after habitat loss.”
Learn to recognize the top offenders in and around Fort Bend County, especially plants. Identify and remove them, replace with species native to the coastal prairie ecoregion where we reside. Find information on recommended mechanical, chemical, or biological methods of removal at TexasInvasives.org. (A clickable quick-sheet PDF has been provided below for convenience.)
Invasive (noun) – an organism that is not native to the place where found and tends to grow and spread easily, usually to the detriment of native species and ecosystems
Merriam-Webster
According to the species sheet at TexasInvasives.org, hyperlinked LACA2 in the file below, Lantana camara (also known as Lantana x strigocamara) can be easily removed by mechanical methods — pulling the plant, taproot and all. It is often mistaken for the Texas native Lantana urticoides, a favorite and well-behaved landscape nectar shrub that reliably attracts butterflies and bees. Nurseries may sell a sterilized cultivar look-alike; the taxonomy (scientific name) on the tag will help guide you. But should the plant ever develop black seeds after planting, it should be removed immediately. Urban birds like mockingbird and northern cardinal will readily eat the seeds, disperse them into the wild environment with their excrement: poop.
The more we and our neighbors learn about a plant’s habits and how they behave in the system, the better stewards we can all be to the larger environment in and around our neighborhoods. As a predominantly privately-held land state, volunteerism and knowledge is key to any successful conservation efforts made by our government.
The insect wildlife and systems connected with our spaces depend upon our active involvement.
Additional Resources
- Invasive Species Awareness Week is February 23-27
- Prohibited and Controlled Exotic Species | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA) | Get involved!
- Texas Invasive Species | Plant and animal species selected as “invasive” in Texas by a consortium of state sponsors (including Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service)
- iNaturalist Introduced Plants in Fort Bend County | There are more than 500+ documented by citizen scientists in this one county alone … nearly 2,000 in the entire State of Texas