The Indiana Dunes is an area of land beside Lake Michigan, in the State of Indiana, United States. It includes Indiana Dunes National Park and Indiana Dunes State Park. Non-native plant species, specifically invasive species, have colonized that area. Invasive plants are those plants that aggressively spread throughout an area and out-compete other plant species, normally those that are native to the area.

Negative impacts

Invasive plant species in the Indiana Dunes have several negative impacts. They may: Displace the variety of flowering plants, substituting a monoculture Grow densely around trails, roads, and water, making travel difficult or impossible Introduce toxins into the environment Have unpleasant spines or thorns Smother ponds, killing fish

List of invasive plant species in the Indiana Dunes

Specific examples include: Purple loosestrife – establishes a monoculture, reducing the variety of wildlife. Bush honeysuckles – prevents regeneration of woody plants and herbs, reducing bird habitat. Glossy buckthorn – prevents regeneration of woody plants, slowly destroying forests. Garlic mustard – alters the chemistry of the soil to kill other seeds, creating a monoculture. Asian bittersweet – this vine can kill or damage trees and shrubs. Crown vetch – alters the soil chemistry and pushes out the variety of other plants. Japanese knotweed – tolerates floods and drought, creates a monoculture. Spotted knapweed – releases toxins into the soil to poison its competition. Common reed – this introduced non-native species aggressively pushes the native species and other aquatic plants out of the ecosystem. Canada thistle – out-competes native vegetation in prairies, savannas, and dunes.

List of invasive plant species in the Indiana Dunes

Species established within the Dunes

Current threats

Acer platanoides - Norway maple

Ailanthus altissima - tree of heaven

Alliaria petiolata - garlic mustard

Artemisia vulgaris - mugwort

Berberis thunbergii - Japanese barberry

Celastrus orbiculatus - Oriental bittersweet

Centaurea maculosa - spotted knapweed

Cirsium arvense - Canada thistle

Cirsium vulgare - bull thistle

Elaeagnus angustifolia - Russian olive

Elaeagnus umbellata - autumn olive

Euonymus atropurpureus - burning bush

Helianthus petiolaris - petioled sunflower

Hesperis matronalis - dame's rocket

Holcus lanatus - Yorkshire Fog, velvet grass

Leymus arenarius - lyme grass

Lonicera tatarica - Tartarian honeysuckle

Lonicera hybrids - Hybrid honeysuckles

Lonicera japonica - Japanese honeysuckle

Lonicera maackii - Amur honeysuckle

Lysimachia nummularia - moneywort

Lythrum salicaria - purple loosestrife

Melilotus officinalis - yellow sweet clover

Phalaris arundinacea - reed canary grass

Phragmites australis - common reed, phragmites

Reynoutria japonica (syn. Polygonum cuspidatum) - Japanese knotweed

Rhamnus cathartica - common buckthorn

Rhamnus frangula - glossy buckthorn

Robinia pseudoacacia - black locust

Rosa multiflora - multiflora rose

Typha angustifolia - narrow-leaved cattail

Typha × glauca - hybrid cattail

Emerging threats to natural resources or extent unknown

Alnus glutinosa - European alder

Carduus nutans - musk thistle

Coronilla varia - crown vetch

Cynoglossum officinale - houndstongue

Dipsacus sylvestris - common teasel

Euphorbia cyparissias - cypress spurge

Euphorbia esula - leafy spurge

Gypsophila paniculata - common baby's breath

Humulus japonicus - Japanese hops

Iris pseudacorus - yellow iris

Leonurus cardiaca - motherwort

Ligustrum vulgare - common privet

Morus alba - white mulberry

Myriophyllum spicatum - Eurasian watermilfoil

Pinus sylvestris - Scots pine

Populus alba - white poplar

Populus nigra - Lombardy poplar

Robinia hispida - bristly locust

Saponaria officinalis - bouncing bet

Ulmus pumila - Siberian elm

Vinca minor - periwinkle

Viburnum opulus var. opulus - European cranberry bush

References

List of invasive plant species

Invasive plant

Indiana, Dunes

Invasive plant species

List of invasive plant species in the Indiana Dunes