Home Depot is selling plants that are officially listed as invasive species in many states across the USA.
By U.S. law (Executive Order 13112),"invasive species" are non-native species "whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health."
While these plants may look innocent in their small pots in the garden center, they spread quickly when wind, stormwater, and animals carry their seeds far and wide. They invade our farms, forests, and parklands and there are no insects or animals that eat them to keep them in check.
Invasive plants overrun and displace our native plants and rob our wildlife of the food they need to eat. They strangle and kill our native trees and worsen the climate crisis. They damage farm equipment and livestock and make our food more expensive.
According to the National Park Service, invasive plants now cover 1.4 million acres of our national park lands and waters and threaten the ecosystem integrity of these areas.
Invasive plants are also costing taxpayers billions of dollars in removal efforts. Biologists studying invasive species across the United States estimate they cause $120 billion in annual economic losses. A NASA report placed the economic cost of invasive species in the United States between $100 billion and $200 billion. In the state of Virginia alone, crop losses, poisoned livestock, devastated timberlands, diseased plants, and expensive management costs may reach $1 billion a year.
Not only that, countless gallons of toxic herbicides are sprayed each year to try to control the spread.
But wait — it gets worse: the federal government has estimated that nearly 25% of the plant species native to North America are at risk of extinction, and the U.S. Forest Service and National Wildlife Federation estimate that 42% of threatened and endangered species are at risk due to invasives.
Right now, the Home Depot garden centers and website offer the following invasive plants for sale:
- Yellow flag iris - listed as invasive in 25 states
- Japanese barberry - listed as invasive in 23 states
- Burning bush - listed as invasive in 20 states
- Callery ("Cleveland") pear - listed as invasive in 17 states
- Chinese privet - listed as invasive in 16 states
- English ivy - listed as invasive in 16 states
- Norway maple - listed as invasive in 15 states
- Wintercreeper - listed as invasive in 14 states
- Cogon grass - listed as invasive in 13 states
- Chinese silvergrass - listed as invasive in 12 states
- European privet - listed as invasive in 12 states
- Scotch broom - listed as invasive in 12 states
- Periwinkle - listed as invasive in 11 states
- Nandina - listed as invasive in 10 states
- Japanese privet - listed as invasive in 9 states
- Moneywort - listed as invasive in 9 states
- Japanese spirea - listed as invasive in 8 states
- Elephant ear - listed as invasive in 7 states
- Butterfly bush - listed as invasive in 6 states
- Pampas grass - listed as invasive in 6 states
- Sawtooth oak - listed as invasive in 6 states
- Crimson fountaingrass - listed as invasive in 4 states
- Largeleaf lantana - listed as invasive in 4 states
This is just a sample. Other officially listed invasive plants sold by Home Depot include Liriope, Chinese clematis, Japanese pachysandra, European blackberry, Italian arum, and more.
Gardeners and homeowners are trusting Home Depot to sell plants that are beneficial for our homes, neighborhoods, and environment — not plants that are destructive to our economy, health, and parklands.
Instead of making things better, Home Depot is creating a bigger problem by selling these invasive plants.
Home Depot is not the only one adding to the problem.
Garden centers and online stores all across the country are selling invasive plants.
Our biggest problem is the uneducated general public. But Home Depot is by far the worst place to go for unknowingly buying invasive plants. I shouldn't have to question whether the plant I'm buying will harm the planet, or threaten my children's future, by destroying our ecosystems.
Invasive species are so out of control that many people feel completely helpless. But we have to start somewhere, and Home Depot can start today. Stop selling invasive plants. It's only going to get worse unless we make a change now.
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