The invasion is all around us...
Non-native plant species have taken hold – perhaps in your own backyard. This page may not help you eradicate them, but it might help you identify them. To find out why a species is considered invasive or exotic, click here.
This is a field guide to invasive and exotic plant species in the Boston area. It is the product of a fall 2005 Brandeis University Field Biology class taught by Dan Perlman. See the acknowledgments page for details on all the wonderful people who were involved in this site's creation, as well as and the about the authors page for information on and self-promotion of the authors, Abbie Wolf and Amanda Verrill.
If you are having difficulty navigating or do not know where to begin, see the help page. Otherwise, start by choosing a search option. Mystifying plant terms can be found in the glossary.
This guide is by no means comprehensive. For an up-to-date listing of recognized Massachusetts invasive species, or to learn more about invasives and exotics in general, see our links.
This guide is intended to be used in conjunction with other resources for identifying some of the invasive and exotic species in the Boston area. Outside guides that we found useful are listed in the bibliography.
We hope you find this guide to be both informative and interesting.
Sincerely,
Amanda and Abbie