Keep Your Garden Thriving
Any invasive plant or noxious weed removed from your yard needs to be disposed of properly to ensure that any berries, seeds and/or roots remaining on the plants don’t spread into other areas.
Do not dispose of invasive plants in:
- Your backyard compost bin or leaf pile
- Yard waste bags headed for the curb
- Natural green spaces such as roadside ditches, parks, ravines
Proper disposal methods include:
- Collecting invasive plants in garbage bags (note: some regions require double-bagging in clear garbage bag)
- Tie the garbage bags closed
- Put the sealed bags at the curb for curb-side pick-up (note: in some regions curb-side pick-up is not an option and bags must be dropped-off at a transfer station or waste management site)
For details about your municipality’s disposal requirements for invasive plants, contact 311.
Keep invasive plants out of your yard by purchasing plants from reputable native plant nurseries and never cut seed heads from plants in natural areas for decoration in vases, wreaths or flowerpots. Many seed heads considered attractive are actually invasive (e.g., common reed, Phragmites) and are spread when their seeds drop after they’ve been picked or while transporting them.