PlantRight
Invasive plants damage California's natural landscapes and impact people. They reproduce quickly, blanketing natural areas and outcompeting native plants and animals. Invasive species are the second greatest threat to biodiversity after outright habitat destruction, and are a contributing factor in the decline of almost half of all imperiled species nationwide.
Invasive plants threaten communities by clogging waterways, increasing flooding risk and escalating fire danger. In California, the estimated annual cost to manage invasive plants tops $85 million. Nationally, the cost runs in the billions of dollars.
Stopping Problem Plants at the Source
Arundo donax, or giant reed, invasions increase fire danger and crowd out native plants and animals.
Sustainable Conservation, along with our partners, is working to stop the sale of invasive plants.
While most garden plants are not a threat, more than half of all known invasive plants were introduced through horticultural channels. PlantRight, launched by Sustainable Conservation, is a diverse alliance of plant growers and retailers, environmental advocates, academics, and professional gardeners and landscapers who came together because they share a belief that prevention is the most effective way to combat the spread of invasive plants.
California's nursery crops contribute significantly to the state's economy. Valued at approximately $15 billion annually in production and sales and supporting nearly 200,000 jobs, nursery crops combined with floral crops are the second largest agricultural crop in California.
The industry has an opportunity to become part of the solution. By adopting sustainable business practices to prevent the sale of invasive plants, California's nursery trade can avoid future invasions - and without potentially burdensome regulations.
Getting Industry Involved
PlantRight is partnering with leaders in California's nursery industry to find cost-effective ways to stop the sale of known invasive plants and prevent the introduction of new ones to protect California's unique biodiversity and natural beauty. Key components of our strategy include:
- Engaging nursery leaders to voluntarily remove known invasive plants from their inventories and replace them with non-invasive alternatives.
- Preventing the introduction of new invasive plants by designing, testing and deploying an easy-to-administer tool to screen new plants for their invasive properties.
- Certifying growers and retailers who have removed known invasive plants and agreed to prevent the introduction of new invasive plants through screening.
- Communicating our impact to accelerate interest on the part of additional plant growers and retailers to participate in the PlantRight program.
Visit the official PlantRight website to find out how you can help protect California by avoiding invasive plants using safe, beautiful alternatives.