“Plant Invaders of
Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas”

Produced by the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chesapeake Bay Field Office, through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with generous matching fund contributions from Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Chesapeake Bay Trust; City of Bowie, Maryland; Maryland Department of Natural Resources; Plant Conservation Alliance (volunteer services); The Nature Conservancy, Maryland-District of Columbia Chapter; and Worcester County, Maryland.

This guidebook provides color photographs and information on 49 species of highly invasive plants affecting aquatic and terrestrial natural areas in the mid-Atlantic region (i.e., Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia). The intent of the publication is to increase public awareness about this extremely important issue that threatens our environment, our economy and human health. Selection of plants for this publication was based on information provided by authorities from various state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations. Many of these are popular plants frequently used for landscaping, roadside plantings, restoration projects, and other purposes.

The manual includes an introductory section explaining the invasive species problem, write-ups on each species organized by type of plant (i.e., aquatic, herb, shrub, tree, vine), a glossary of terms used, references, and sources for more information.

Information on targeted species includes:

• Native origin
• History of introduction and ecological threat
• Description, biology, and method of spread
• Distribution and habitats impacted
• Prevention and control
• Look-alike plants
• Native alternative plants

The majority of the content of the guide was obtained from the Plant Conservation Alliance, Alien Plant Working Group’s “Weeds Gone Wild” website, at: http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien.
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To request a copy, please call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Field Office at 410-573-4500, or the National Park Service, Center for Urban Ecology at 202-342-1443, ex. 218 (Jil Swearingen); or requests can be emailed to Kathryn_Reshetiloff@fws.gov.