hippie I see telling people to plant invasive (or potentially invasive) species I am going to have to hit them over the head with a hardcover textbook on ecology.  I don’t care what your intentions are, lots of invasive species are introduced to solve some sort of problem and it sometimes ends up creating more (see: kudzu in the south, illegal snakes in Hawai’i, Russian olive in the north, etc.).

Before you tell people that they “should” be planting something, check it out with knowledgeable authorities.  Does the plant share any characteristics with known invasive species, e.g. what is its method of seed dispersal, does it have any predators/pests, how does it change the soil it grows in (and does that make it inhospitable for native species of concern), will it bloom or leaf out before other species (thus blocking out light for early spring ephemerals)?  I’m sure there are a million more questions, which is why you need to be extremely cautious about (read: avoid completely) being the next Johnny Appleseed for the next trendy miracle plant.  

Ecosystems are complex things and you really shouldn’t be taking chances.  They’re not yours to take.

1. dearmysoul reblogged this from chickenfluff and added:

   YES! so many invasive species are in hawaii because people wanted a quick fix for their problems, or just didn’t know...

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