According to the New York Invasive Species Research Institute (NYISRI), New York is plagued by about twenty invasive plant species.  On this list are thirteen common plants that are available at plant nurseries in the New York area, including:

•            
•            Phragmites (Phragmites australis)
•            Mile a minute vine (Persicaria perfoliata)
•            Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
•            Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
•            Norway maple (Acer platanoides)
•            Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
•            Russian olive (Elaeganus angustifolia)
•            Smooth buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula)
•            Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
•            Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
•            Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora)
•            Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)
•            Swallow-wort (Cynanchium louiseae)
•            Burning bush (Euonymous alatus)

I was curious to see how these plants are finding their way into gardens to begin with, so I decided to survey some New York nurseries online to see exactly what I could find in their inventory.  I will not mention the names of these nurseries, but I will say that out of seven nurseries in the New York state area surveyed, three of them were selling some kind of invasive species.  One nursery in particular had five species of barberry and ten species of Norway maple alone.  Out of the three nurseries that were selling invasives, a total of nine out of the thirteen species listed above were present.  The four nurseries found that were not selling any invasives were all located within the New York City area and sold only house plants. It is possible that if they had more space then they too would be selling invasives.

While many nurseries are still selling invasive plants, I have found three organizations in the New York area that sell native plant species only.  These three organizations also participate in some educational programs that teach landscapers, gardeners, etc. about how to plant a native garden that is good for the unique ecosystems in Eastern North America.  These organizations are:

1. The Plantsmen Nursery (Ithica, NY)
2. The Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College (Westchester, NY)
3. The Greenbelt Native Plant Center (Staten Island, NY)

So the next time you think about buying a new plant for your garden, be sure to look up native species that would be beneficial to the environment to plant and also think about and re-visit the list of invasive plants to avoid.  By doing this, you can help reduce the transformation and destruction of native wetland and forest ecosystems by invasives.