Invasive Species

Today, I spent the morning removing Scotch Broom from a patch of forest near my home. Scotch Broom is a small brush that is native to Western Europe and North Africa that was imported to the U.S. to beautify the sides of highways. Unfortunately, The Scotch Broom did not remain on the sides of roads and now infests large areas of the country. Scotch Broom is one of thousands of invasive plants and animals that that beeen imported intentionally or accidentally from other areas of the world or even other regions of North America. Invasive species can crowd out and even replace native species. Once an invasive species gets established in its new environment, it is often very difficult to distinguish it as an invasive species and to remove or control it.