This past legislative session, Missouri lawmakers addressed concerns with invasive plants in Missouri.<\/p>\n
Senate Bill 105 prohibits the sale of six plants invasive to Missouri.<\/p>\n
“It went into effect in August but there is a grace period through which the plants can be sold,” Carol Davit, director of Missouri Prairie Foundation and chair of the Missouri Invasive Plant Council, said. <\/p>\n
Davit said invasive plants are non-native plants that can spread quickly and cause harm.<\/p>\n
Callery pear, or Bradford pear, is one of the six invasive species named in the bill. <\/p>\n
“The harm is that this tree can displace our native trees,” Davit said. <\/p>\n
She said invasive plants hurt natural diversity. “The more space is filled up with non-native invasive plants, the fewer native plants we have.”<\/p>\n
The loss of native plants impacts natural resources, habitats, wildlife, cattle farms and even hunters.<\/p>\n
“[Native plants] are foundation of nature’s web of life. They support native insect, those insects support native song birds,” Davit said. “Also many of our native plants, especially trees like oaks [and] hickories, are really important parts of our economy.”<\/p>\n
Davit said the Missouri Invasive Plant Council formed in 2015 and spent years speaking with stakeholders and the public about which invasive plants should be restricted.<\/p>\n
The council used this information to advise legislators.<\/p>\n
“We just want to thank Representative Sassman who first introduced legislation, and then Senator Bernskoetter who then introduced a companion bill that was ultimately passed into law.”<\/p>\n
Davit said discontinuing the sale of invasive plants would help prevent their future spread.<\/p>\n
“We might think that we can live without nature, but in fact, the natural world sustains us.”<\/p>\n
In April, the Missouri Invasive Plant Council would hold its annual Callery pear buy-back program.<\/p>\n