WANTEDDEAD NOT ALIVE

WARNING!These varmints may be

hiding almost anywhere. Near homes... schools... churches. High and dry or low and dank! Brazenly

in the full light of day or lurking under the cover of shade! They

are to be consideredEXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!!

“The Dirty Dozen”

What are “invasive exotics”?“Invasive exotics” are plants not native to the Southeastern U.S. that spread rapidly with no help from people. Theysmother natural ecosystems, invade waterways, agricultural fields and neighborhoods. Kudzu, for example, has consumed an estimated 7 million acres in the South, replacing thousands of native species! The impact of these invasive plants is second only to habitat destruction. The 12 plants shown in this brochureare the worst offenders in the Charlotte area.

What’s so bad about “invasive exotics”?Free from natural controls that keep them in check in their native homelands, invasive exotics grow wild andweedy in North Carolina. They cause serious problems:

• Loss of ecological diversityInvasives push out native plants, destroy natural communities that sustain songbirds and wildlife, and endanger native Carolina plants.

• Danger to plants, wildlife and peopleSome invaders are poisonous to wildlife, livestock and people. Their rank growth causes problems with weed control.

• Decreased water qualityWater quality is a special concern, since these plants can clog lakes, waterways and wetlands, adverselyaffect water treatment facilities and public water supplies, and reduce habitat for native fish and wildlife.

• Agricultural lossesInvasive plants cost farmers millions per year for weed control and require additional use of chemicals.Some invasive species are extremely difficult to eradicate.

• Less beauty in North Carolina landscapesThe rank profusion of invasives replaces beautiful vistas of dogwood and wildflowers with monotonousweedy growth.

How did they get here?Some invasive exotics arrive, like exotic fire ants, in shipments of plants, seed or produce from abroad. Otherswere introduced because no one realized they would become an invasive pest. This happened with Kudzu, aJapanese plant introduced in the 1930s to control erosion. Some of the worst invasives like English ivy andChinese privet are still for sale in local garden centers!

What can we do to stop invasive exotics?You can help, beginning in your own backyard, neighborhood, churchyard and local park. Remember the ‘Three Es’:

• Education - Learn to recognize the worst invasive plants and the harm they are doing. Share informationwith friends, neighbors, business owners and public officials.

• Environmental gardening - Stop planting invasive exotics. Select native North Carolina plants and trees for home landscaping. When you select non-natives take care to use only non-invasive varieties.

• Eradication - Remove invasive species from your yard, and replace them with a better choice. Supportlarge scale efforts to remove invasive plants in parks and public areas.

Want to help? Join the Weed Team!The Southwest Piedmont Weed Team is a local chapter of the Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council.The Weed Team’smission is to stop invasive plants in the Charlotte region, through education, eradication and environmental restoration projects. For more information visit our website at www.wipeoutwaste.com/PLANT.asp or call D. Ann Gill at 704-336-5359.

Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council

Name:_______________________________________

Address:_____________________________________

City:__________________State:____ Zip:___________

BusinessAffiliation:_____________________________________

Phone:_______________________________________

FAX:_________________________________________

E-Mail:_______________________________________

Check appropriate state affiliation:

■■ Kentucky ■■ Mississippi■■ North Carolina ■■ Georgia■■ Florida ■■ Other (general SE-EPPC)■■ Tennessee

Check appropriate membership category:

INDIVIDUAL INSTITUTIONAL■■ Student - $10 ■■ General - $100■■ General - $20 ■■ Contributing - $500

Mail completed form and check (made payable to:SE-EPPC) to:

Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council819 Cheryl Lane

Lexington, Kentucky 40504

Join Today!

Visit our website at www.se-eppc.org

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

A threat to native ecosystems - right in our own backyards

Elaeagnus umbellataaka: “Autumn Olive, Silverberry”

Hydrilla verticillataaka: “Hydrilla”

Ligustrum sinenseaka: “Chinese Privet”

Pueraria montana var. lobataaka: “Kudzu”

Ailanthus altissimaaka: “Tree of Heaven”

Wisteria sinensisaka: “Chinese Wisteria”

Hedera helixaka: “English Ivy”

Lonicera japonicaaka: “Japanese Honeysuckle”

Microstegium vimineumaka: “Japanese Stiltgrass”

Rosa multifloraaka: “Multiflora Rose”

Paulownia tomentosaaka: “Princess Tree”

Ampelopsis brevipedunculataaka: “Porcelainberry”

The DirtyDozen Top Twelve Invasive Exotic Plants of the North Carolina Piedmont

These 12 plants are doing serious damage to our native plants and wildlife. Federal and State agencies responsible for agriculture, natural resources and the environmenthave identified these species, based on extensive and alarming scientific evidence. Don’t plant them in your gardens, and help remove them from public lands.(For help with plant identification, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service.)

Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council(SE-EPPC)

The Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council was established in 1999 as a non-profit regional organization to:

• raise awareness about the threat posed byinvasive exotic pest plants to native plant communities in the Southeast

• facilitate communication, dissemination, andthe exchange of information concerning research,management and control of invasive exotic pest plants

• provide a forum for all interested parties to participate in meetings, workshops, and annualsymposia as a regional organization andthrough its state chapters

• serve as an educational, advisory, and technical support council on all aspects of invasive exotic pest plant issues

• initiate campaign actions to prevent future introductions and the spread of invasive exotic pest plants in the Southeast

As a 501c3 non-profit organization, the SE-EPPC isable to accomplish its goals through the support ofits members. Your membership helps provide thenecessary resources for the SE-EPPC to host annualsymposia, workshops, publish quarterly the SE-EPPCNews and Wildland Weeds, and print educationalbrochures to raise awareness about biological pollution.

SOUTHEAST EXOTIC PEST PLANT COUNCIL

819 Cheryl LaneLexington, Kentucky 40504

Visit our website at www.se-eppc.org

Photos courtesy of: http://www.bugwood.org/weeds.html