U of M researchers warn on the dangers of buying invasive plants online, including buckthorn
As Minnesotans gear up for the growing season, the University of Minnesota has a warning about where you buy your plants. A new study details how easy it is to purchase harmful, invasive plants online, often without knowing it.
"We have 2,000 species of plants that we maintain here," said Alex Eilts, director of the University of Minnesota's College of Biological Sciences Conservatory & Botanical Collection.
The U of M is home to a vast botanical collection. Many of the plants found there would be a welcome addition to your home or garden, but researchers say that's not always the case.
As online plant purchasing has grown in popularity, Amy Morey, a research associate with the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pest Center, decided to conduct a study of her own.
"It's just fascinating how widely available so many of these plants are," said Morey.
She wanted to see how easy it would be to buy invasive plants and seeds on the internet and have them shipped to Minnesota.
"Just think about online buying. You can do that any time of the night. It's very easy. Just a few clicks and you can purchase all sorts of things," said Morey.
About 80% of the invasive plants Morey and other researchers looked at could be purchased online. Including many that are regulated in Minnesota. That means it's illegal to sell, trade or move them around the state.
Morey says she received plants from 20 countries. Invasive buckthorn and berberis plants were among Morey's shipments.
"Certain species can carry a type of rust that's really damaging to small grains, very often outcompeting native plants, shading them out," said Morey, "Not providing room for them to grow is very common."
Morey says the vegetation also came with other unwanted hitchhikers.
"We found insects, worms, plant pathogens," said Morey.
When buying online, Morey recommends typing the name of the plant and the word "invasive" into a separate search engine to see what comes up. You may be close to buying something that looks good but looks can be deceiving.
"We've known for a while that the ornamental plant trade is a pretty common way that new, invasive plants are introduced into an area," said Morey.
Morey said the Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources also have useful online information about which plants can be bought and sold in Minnesota.
