there was a very good article that got shared around here a while ago about how kudzu -- the weed so explosively invasive it consumed the southern US – is actually not that big of a problem, and that it's mostly just prolific in the bad soils, bright sunshine and polluted air of roadsides, so you see it from the road. when you learn more about it, it turns out kudzu isn't a weed, its a pioneer plant – it thrives in nutrient-poor soil, extending roots deep into the ground to dredge up otherwise inaccessible nutrients to make them available for other plants. in its normal habitat, it produces richer, more welcoming soils that other plants take root in, and eventually it gets shaded over and dies back, its job done. the reason they're "invasive" is because its job is never permitted to be done. you provide ideal habitats – barren sunny roadsides or golf greens with nutrient-poor soil and one hyperspecific cultivar of grass – and it dutifully colonises it to begin enriching the ecosystem, only to be beaten back. the kudzu is removed, restoring the habitat back to its barren, pristine state, primed and ready for the kudzu to come again. so it does, and you end up locked in sisyphean battle that only the kudzu can ever win.
we don't have kudzu here but dandelions are considered the most noxious of weeds. but dandelions thrive in nutrient-poor soil, extending roots deep into the ground to dredge up otherwise inaccessible nutrients to make them available for other plants. in my garden, they relentlessly spring up in the old cracks in the concrete, defiantly growing in even the tiniest available space. ive begun to understand that they are not nasty little pests; they're vanguards, holding open the space within which others might one day grow. the cracks have grown wider over the years, forced open by each new year of dandelions. i think i might stop fighting them.
hi! don't mean to get like confrontational, because yes, there is no such thing as a 'weed' in the colloquial term.
but all plants that grow like weeds are not 'good'. Granted, no plants are fundamentally moral, but we'll set that aside for now.
the thing that a lot of folks miss when it comes to weeds and invasive plants are this: it is not necessarily considered an invasive because it's harmful to humans. (i also want to acknowledge that we can be talking on different scales here, so take that as it may) invasive plants are VERY harmful to both other native plants, as well as a lot of our fundamental keystones of ecology.
I don't want to research this too in depth and get 'in the weeds' (ha), but i'll go with a super basic example: Tree of Heaven
Tree of heaven is a tree you've probably seen growing on the side of a road somewhere. It's these fucks.
Now, I love a tree, but these are a vicious invasive. And yes, while they can still provide some benefits that trees do provide, there's a few problems with them.
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They are loved by the spotted lantern fly for mating/reproduction. This bug is bad. Do you like fruits? Wood? They represent a thread to many ecosystem services, both native and introduced, that we hold dear.
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They are one of the many invasive trees that are allelopathic. Another species in a similar vein (though I don't know if it's by allelopathy) is Eucalyptus. The leaf litter, and all matter in this tree, produce toxins that can inhibit the seedling growth of native plants like red oak, sugar maple, and other native hardwoods. Here's some compiled info from the forest service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/ailalt/all.html#ImpactsAndControl
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From a human-centered point of view - these trees stink. Literally! They let off an odor from leaves and bark that's been rubbed that smells like rotten walnuts. It's awful.
I don't want to belabor the point, and I appreciate the original heart of the message in this original post, but invasive plants and even some "weeds" can indeed cause ecological harm. Many animals rely on the native plants we have to flourish, and while some can adapt to altered browsing conditions, not all can. The example of kudzu is good. It is a nitrogen fixer! It's a great plant to amend soil! It also chokes out other plants like no one's business. And especially can inhibit tree/forest growth unless it's left for tens of years. Many tree seedlings don't like to sprout under total shade, and kudzu is really good at creating conditions that make it hard to establish native trees and other plants in.
Ultimately, it's good to rethink our approach to weeds and invasive plants, yes. In some capacity. But nothing can be black and white here. Thank you for the original post<3

