Help our native wildlife to thrive by stopping the spread of invasive non-native plants!
Plants are vital for our health and environment. They improve air quality, boost our health and wellbeing, help to offer climate change resilience, and provide a home for wildlife. Many plants in our gardens and ponds are not native to Great Britain (GB) – they have been introduced from all over the world by people.
While non-native plants can help us to create beautiful ornamental displays to enjoy, some can become invasive if they spread beyond your garden.
Invasive non-native plants can cause serious problems, including:
- crowding out native plants which other species rely on for food and shelter
- changing soil conditions and nutrients, and spreading plant diseases
- damaging buildings and infrastructure, and interfering with agriculture and utilities
- clogging waterways, which interferes with recreation and increases the flood risk
- harming our health
Once established, they can be costly to control and the damage they cause can be irreversible. Pond and aquarium plants can be particularly devastating due to the speed at which they can spread in a natural water body and the impact they can have on important aquatic habitats. Find out more about the impacts of invasive plants.
How can I help?
You can help protect the environment and our native wildlife for future generations to enjoy by following our Be Plant Wise tips:
Know what you grow
Choose the right plants for your garden, pond and water features. Download your free guide to plants to use in place of invasive non-native species.
Stop the spread
Keep your plants in your garden - don't plant them, or allow them to grow, in the wild.
Compost with care
Dispose of your unwanted plants, roots, weeds, seeds, and seed heads responsibly. Find out which invasive plants can't be composted and how to dispose of them safely.
Since 2017 a group of water companies have funded a project to improve aquatic biosecurity, including funding the Be Plant Wise campaign since it was relaunched in 2020. Find out more about the Aquatic Biosecurity Partnership.
Contact us to become a Be Plant Wise partner.
