A practical approach to identifying and removing invasive plants
Invasive plants are one of the biggest challenges to restoring native habitat in the San Lorenzo Valley. They spread quickly, outcompete native species, and can reshape entire landscapes.
But restoration doesn’t have to start everywhere.
Start at the edge.
A practical way to begin is by working from a clear boundary—what we call a strategic margin. This is where invasive growth meets a path, fence line, stream bank, or the outer edge of a patch.
Working from these edges helps you:
- create visible progress
- contain further spread
- monitor regrowth and remove it more easily
Areas long covered by dense invasives—like Vinca or English ivy—may take time to recover, even after removal. Native plants often return gradually, and soil conditions can take multiple seasons to rebalance.
By focusing on edges first, you can stabilize the landscape, support natural recovery, and build momentum over time.
Use the posts below to:
- identify what’s growing on your land
- understand how it spreads
- decide where to begin
Use the posts below to identify what’s growing on your land and decide where to begin—then start at the edge and keep going.
Invasive Plants
French Broom
A Beautiful Invader Every spring, dense walls of yellow line the roadsides and hillsides of the San Lorenzo Valley. That display is deceptive. French Broom…
Foxtail
Hordeum murinum, Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens, Bromus diandrus A Grass With Many Names – and One Purpose “Foxtail” is not a single plant. It is…
Aerial Ivy
Ivy in Trees: Where the Real Danger Happens Two Growth Phases: Juvenile and Adult Ground ivy is damaging. Aerial ivy is far more serious. Most…
Vinca major
What Vinca is and how it Spreads Vinca major is an evergreen groundcover native to southern Europe and northern Africa that has become widely established…
Ground Ivy
The Plant Most People Think They Know English Ivy (Hedera helix) and Algerian Ivy (Hedera algeriensis) are among the most pervasive invasive plants in the…
Himalayan Blackberry
The Bramble That Won’t Let Go Every August, the creeks, roadsides, and abandoned corners of the San Lorenzo Valley fill with glossy blackberries. They’re free,…
