Common Reed

Common Reed is a large perennial rhizomatous grass, or reed, that now inhabits many wet areas along New York's roadsides, marshes, riverbanks, pastures and even backyards.

Wherever a dense stand becomes established, it can lead to a rapid decrease in native biodiversity. Its aggressiveness, ability to spread quickly and lack of competition disrupts the growth of native plants, sometimes resulting in a monoculture. When this occurs, wildlife habitat is degraded as animals no longer have the same plants needed to provide their food and shelter. Phragmites is a difficult invasive plant specie to control once it has become established.

Interim Invasive Plant Species Lists Compiled by USDA NRCS New York

Herbaceous and Woody Species

September 18, 2009 - USDA NRCS New York has compiled an interim list of invasive species of herbaceous and woody plants until an official list is released.

Information Resources

The links below will help you learn more about:

• distribution of common reed in the United States

• recognizing common reed on your property

• growth habits of common reed

• eradication and control of common reed

• other nuisance and invasive plant species

Biological Invasions: Economic and Environmental Costs of Alien Plant, Animal, and Microbes Species
This Cornell University News article discusses a book edited and co-authored by Cornell University ecologist David Pimentel which serves as a non-fictional account of introduced species' destructive impact.

Invasive.org - Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Under development for a number of years, the overall objective of Invasive.org is to provide an accessible and easily used archive of high quality images related to invasive and exotic species, with particular emphasis on educational applications.

Invasive Plant Council of New York State (IPCNYS)
The purpose of the Invasive Plant Council of New York State is to provide an information clearinghouse for invasive plant identification, research and management.

Invasive Plants Atlas of New England (IPANE)
The Invasive Plant Atlas of New England’s mission is to create a comprehensive web-accessible database of invasive and potentially invasive plants in New England that will be continually updated by a network of professionals and trained volunteers.

Invasive Species - USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program

Invasive Species in the Peconics - Peconic Estuary Program (PEP)
The Peconic Estuary Program Web page includes information about invasive species, including Purple Loosestrife, Phragmites and other plants that have become invasive when their natural predators are absent from the new environment.

National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC) - USDA Natural Agricultural Library

USDA NRCS Plants Database

Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group

Not All Alien Invaders are from Outer Space

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has created an interactive Web page that teaches you about 16 uninvited species that are destroying our natural resources and threatening U.S. ecosystems.

Please visit our Nuisance and Invasive Animal Species pages to learn about animals that directly impact New York State.

If you encounter problems with this Web page, please contact the Webmaster at 315-477-6524.

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