California Horticultural Invasives Prevention Overview
When you purchase an exotic plant at your local nursery to plant in your yard, can you be sure it will stay in your yard? Although only a small percentage of plants are able to invade open spaces and wildlands, those that do become invasive can wreak havoc on native ecosystems. Exotic, invasive plants can reproduce quickly and displace native plants and animals. They reduce species diversity and change ecosystems by choking waterways, increasing flooding, and escalating fire danger.
Invasive species are the second largest threat to biodiversity after habitat destruction. They are a contributing factor in the decline of almost 50 percent of all endangered or imperiled plant and animal species in the United States.
Shifting the Market for Plants
The horticultural industry is an important pathway for the introduction of invasive plants. Sustainable Conservation is using its experience working with industries to help the project partners find and implement solutions that prevent the sale of invasive plants. The California Horticultural Invasives Prevention (Cal-HIP) will study many factors such as plant species, climate, and industry factors to discover strategies that are environmentally beneficial and economically feasible.
Understanding the Collaborative Effort
Sustainable Conservation has organized a multi-stakeholder steering committee to develop and foster strategies for preventing introductions of invasive plants through horticulture. The steering committee includes representatives from key stakeholder communities, including the horticultural industry, landscape architects and contractors, environmental non-profits, government agencies, and the gardening public.
Cal-HIP will develop a strategy for shifting the horticultural community away from invasive species and toward economically viable alternatives that are safe for California's native ecosystems. Our first step will be to work with the nursery industry to find alternatives to invasive plants that can be sold by retail and wholesale outlets.
