Invasive Ornamental Plants: Problems, Challenges, and Molecular Tools to Neutralize Their Invasiveness

The spread of invasive plants is one of the most challenging ecological problems in the 21st Century, causing a $35 billion loss per year to the economy in the United States alone. More than 50% of all invasive plants and 85% of invasive woody species were introduced originally for ornamental and landscape use. Because many nonnative plants are commercially important and widely utilized for various purposes, completely banning their use and prohibiting their imports are unpractical solutions for control. On the other hand, the methods currently used to control the spread of nonnative plants are ineffective, expensive, or environmentally problematic. Recent advances in plant biotechnology may enable us to create sterile cultivars of these nonnative ornamental crops of commercial value. The use of sterile cultivars should reduce or eliminate the undesirable spread of some nonnative invasive plants into natural areas.