What it does
The Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States brings together species information, images and distribution maps. Its stated focus is non-native invasive plants affecting natural areas.
The Atlas is useful when a plant near a garden may be spreading into surrounding natural habitat. Species routes separate trees, vines, grasses, aquatics and other growth forms, with photographs and distribution information supporting further identification. Begin with the suspected plant and its form, then compare the species material and geographic evidence. The Atlas explicitly excludes agricultural and other heavily developed or managed lands from its main focus, so it should not be treated as a complete garden-weed catalogue. Early-detection reporting information is a separate route from reading a species account.
Strengths
- Images and distribution maps support investigation of a suspected invasive plant
Watch out for
- Its main scope is natural areas rather than a complete catalogue of garden weeds
Best for
- Researching a suspected invasive plant near a US garden