When transporting plants from one area of the country to another, people may not understand the harm they are bringing upon their home. Non-native plants can cause serious damages to a new landscape, which could result in health problems for humans, animals, and the ecosystem. Let’s take a closer look at why non-native plants may be harmful.
They introduce uncommon allergies.
There used to be a time, many decades ago, when Tucson and the Southwest were ideal areas for allergy-sufferers to settle in. Those with severe respiratory issues were often advised to move to this area to combat their allergies and respiratory problems, because there weren’t many allergenic plants and pollens dotting the landscape. However, those same travelers brought in non-native plants from their East coast and Midwest landscapes, effectively bringing the allergies and respiratory issues with them. Over the decades, these non-native plants have become a part of the Southwest landscape, but they also cause severe allergies during the spring and summer months.
They become invasive on the landscape.
Non-native plants can end up thriving in an unfamiliar landscape, and as a result, they may invade upon the current plant life. Many weeds, vines, and other disruptive plants can easily thrive in the Southwest. In the process, these same plants will end up choking out native plant life, damaging the surrounding ecosystem.
They can disrupt the surrounding ecosystem.
Many plants may not be a problem in their native land, usually because there is a specific animal, insect, or weather condition that keeps the plant growth in check. Once that plant has been moved somewhere non-native, it is often able to grow without hindrance. In some cases, a non-native plant may be poisonous in its new area, even though it was not considered poisonous to its previous area.
Work with Complete Landscaping to learn the correct plants and trees for desert landscapes in Tucson. Please call us at (520) 323-8918 to learn more.