Patricia Landry of Toronto couldn't resist pulling out the invasive dog vine she found in Glen Stewart Ravine, she told Global News.
“This is one of the worst invasive species we face,” she said, “and it’s an ongoing battle. We’re never going to stop.”
Sneaky, sprawling and costly invasive plants are everywhere.
“It’s literally hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Cara Webster, director of natural resource management for the City of Toronto.
Webster has been keeping a close eye on the ongoing projects at Glenstewart Canyon because the site is considered “environmentally significant.”
“There's a lot of common buckthorn in the understory, so the understory is dense. You can't see through the forest, so when you get into the forest and it releases the shadows, native species can thrive,” Webster said.
The city's online list is continually updated and can be found at Toronto website Top 10 banned plants that threaten the environment and/or human health and safety.
But many Toronto residents have dozens of invasive plants either intentionally planted or left to grow in their backyards, perhaps without knowing how aggressive they can be. Plants like English ivy and periwinkle can actually choke out other species, and successfully removing them can be confusing once they take root.
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There are support groups on Facebook dedicated to eradicating the highly invasive creeping bluebells, but there is also a growing trend on social media and among gardening experts focused on reconnecting habitats and protecting biodiversity: native plantings.
“There’s no doubt that this is a huge shift and we’re moving in the right direction. People are recognizing the importance of creating habitat on their own land,” Landry said.
As Rondry stands in an east Toronto garden filled with native plants, she points out Canada anemones, basil and yarrow.
“The species here have evolved over thousands of years to provide habitats for wildlife. … When we lose native species, we lose all the other species that depend on those plants,” Webster said.
The City of Toronto says Toronto is home to a diverse array of pollinators, including 364 species of bees and 112 species of butterflies. Native plants are plants that grow naturally in the areas where they evolved and are adapted to the local land. Pollinators need native plants just as much as native plants need pollinators.
“It makes our landscapes more sustainable,” Landry said. “We’re in a climate crisis, so it makes our gardens and landscapes more resilient to those changes.”
Many native plants also require less water.
But Landry said prioritizing native plants doesn't mean Toronto residents should cut down most non-native, hybrid or ornamental plants.
“I don't want people to feel like they have to plant all native plants to do the right thing in gardening. If you plant three, four, even five native plants in your garden, you're helping the environment,” she said.
