Learn how to identify and control invasive plants

Understanding invasive plants in our area and how to control them will give YOU the edge to fight back against these intruders on your property. 

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation has a Virginia Invasive Species List that identifies plants as high, medium, or low risk for the different regions of Virginia.  The risk level reflects the level of threat to forests and other natural areas and to native plants.

In collaboration with the Blue Ridge Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM), RVF has posted signs along the trails beside 12 of the MOST WANTED invasive plants in our area. These invasives include:

• Trees (tree-of-heaven, Callery/Bradford pear)
• Shrubs (autumn olive, multiflora rose, privet)
• Vines (round leaf or Asiatic bittersweet, Japanese honeysuckle, mile-a-minute, wineberry) and 
• Perennials (lespedeza, garlic mustard, Japanese stiltgrass)

The QR codes on these signs will link you to content developed by Blue Ridge PRISM to help you learn to identify these plants and the methods to control them. The signs will be moved to new locations as we work to eliminate invasives on the trails.

Can you identify each of these invasive plants? Click the pictures below to check your answers and to access the content linked to  invasive signs on the trails.

Blue Ridge PRISM also has an Invasive Plant ID and Control app that you can access from your cell phone. The app has photos and links to fact sheets and videos about identification and control of the invasives on the Virginia Invasive Species List.

Additional resources include:

• The Virgina Department of Conservation (VDCR) fact sheets for many invasive plants.
• The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) publications.
• The Virginia Invasive Plant Coalition resource page.