A variety of invasive plant species, not native to Texas, have taken over some landscapes, and you may have planted some of them yourself.
"They're a little bit like 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'," Kelly Conrad Baker, with Texas Parks and Wildlife, said. "They come in quietly, nobody really notices, until all of the sudden they completely take over."
Ligustrum, nandina, Chinese tallow and other invasive plant species are escaping our yards and invading natural areas.
"This definitely has a very strong impact on our ecology, which impacts our wildlife," Charlie McCabe, with Austin Parks Foundation, said.
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Invasive Plants
News 8's Paul Brown has more on an invasion of foreign plants on native soil.
 
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The first step in stopping the spread of invasive plants is identifying the intruder.
"Here's a mature ligustrum right here. And look at that trunk, how many stems it has. It's slowly kind of spreading itself and every foot and a half you've got a new plant coming in. It's just amazing how quickly it can just take over," McCabe said.
After spotting these plants in their own communities, some volunteers have decided to take action.
But you don't need a chainsaw or a wood chipper to do battle.
"The best method of keeping invasive out of a landscape is to make the choice not to plant them in the first place." Baker said.
Fortunately for all of us who enjoy nature, this alternative to planting invasive plants is catching on.
"What do we do when plants attack? You know, if we value natural places, if we value native wildlife species, like chickadees and titmice, we have to remove some of those exotic species and let some of our native Texas plants take their place," Baker said.
