Toledo Botanical Garden boasts beautiful gardens featuring native and non-native plants in our living museum. However, TBG recognizes that invasive plants pose serious environmental and economic threats to our region. While most non-native plants are not invasive in nature and enrich our landscapes with their beauty, there are several species of concern that aggressively grow in areas where they are introduced. TBG has adopted an invasive plant policy to curb and control the expansion and introduction of non-native invasive species in the Garden and our neighboring lands.

Definition: Invasive species are certain plants, accidentally or intentionally introduced, that displace native species and adversely affect wildlife habitat, water quality, recreation and biological diversity by crowding out beneficial native species. The policy will provide consistent guidance for any TBG activities that involve planting, soil or vegetation disturbances.

Policy: Non-native invasive species that have a detrimental impact to native plants, wildlife, or their habitats in the Midwest will be controlled, reduced, or removed from lands and waters managed by TBG whenever practical. The Garden will also provide technical assistance to private and public landowners seeking to manage non-native invasive species whenever possible.

• Any action taken or authorized by the TBG must consider and minimize, to the extent practical, the detrimental effects caused by the introduction of non-native invasive species.
   
• Species known to be of concern will not be added to the garden’s permanent collection.
• When species are determined to present a risk of becoming invasive, they will be removed from the collection and destroyed.
• The Garden will also develop, utilize and promote a list of acceptable noninvasive plants with similar landscape use as the plants being removed.
• TBG will not distribute or sell plants, seeds or cuttings or other propagules of any germ plasm within its collections that is on its invasive species list or under evaluation for invasiveness.
• Permitted research, such as the growing of non-native invasive species for scientific study and the introduction of biological measures to control these species, is not covered by this policy.
• When disturbing soil or vegetation, staff will minimize the spread of non-native invasive populations either within or adjacent to an area to be modified.
• A detection plan and invasive species management plans will be created and implemented on the garden grounds.
• TBG will educate the public and nursery industry about the adverse impacts of introducing and causing the spread of invasive species, identification of such species, and ways to reduce and control such species.
• TBG shall maintain a list of non-native invasive plant species. This list will be revised from time to time as additional information becomes available.

For more information or to receive a copy of the non-native invasive plant species list, please contact our Horticulture Department at 419-936-2966 or superintendent@toledogarden.org.