Native Plants
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Tuesday - April 22, 2003
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: General Botany, Invasive Plants
Title: Definition of a weed
Answered by: Stephen Brueggerhoff
QUESTION:
What is your definition of a weed?ANSWER:
My definition of a weed encompasses the natural distribution range of a particular plant, as well as growth habit. Generally, a plant is determined "weedy" if it has a habit of creating a monoculture and effectively removing or reducing populations of naturally occurring flora. Weeds can be either native or non-native plants. Native plants are plants that naturally occur in a given location without accidental or intentional introduction by humans. Plants that are native to other places and have been introduced to locations out of their natural range are called exotics. These plants, in turn, are then declared invasive when they exhibit characteristics described above. Additionally, native plants that are introduced/grow out of their naturally distributed range, can become invasive as well.
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