Turning to the Dark Side

Many gardeners today enjoy planting new species and cultivars into their landscape, especially if novel or unusual in some way. Many of these species are non-natives, introduced from other areas of the world and selected for traits such as color, bloom time, hardiness and growth form. However, some of these ornamental plants can become invasive over time, self-seeding in gardens and nearby natural areas.

In this presentation, we'll discuss why such plants “turn to the dark side,” what gardeners can do to help prevent that from happening and useful alternative plants that are now available.

About the Presenter: Theresa Cully is a Professor of Plant Ecology at the University of Cincinnati. Her research focuses on the mechanisms and genetics of plant invasions, especially for species of ornamental and horticultural use (as she is also an avid gardener). She is a board member of the Midwest Invasive Plant Network (MIPN), a founding co-organizer of Public Gardens as Sentinels of Plant Invasion (PGSIP) in North America, and a past president of the Ohio Invasive Species Council (OIPC) where she chairs its invasive plant assessment committee. Theresa also serves on the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Invasive Plant Advisory Committee which assists in the commercial regulation of invasive species in Ohio.

Active CGC volunteers and Parks Conservation Stewards can take this class for free!