Focus on the future you are managing for



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November 3, 2025

November Weed of the Month: Prioritizing Invasive Plant Control

Focus on the future you are managing for

*By Maya Sarkar, Minnesota Department of Agriculture* - As the growing season winds down, it’s a good time to take a break and reflect on the larger picture of invasive species management – what was accomplished, what to prioritize next, and long-term goals. Earlier this year, Weed of the Month covered making a weed management plan. To accompany that article, here is a short quiz to help your overall planning efforts. A weed management plan can be as simple or complex as you want, but either way, this is an easy place to start.

This quiz is adapted from Ellen Jacquart’s “Where Do I Start?! Prioritizing Invasive Plant Control [ [link removed] ]” in the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society Journal. It aims to help prioritize which invasive species to treat first on the land you’re stewarding, since many of us are addressing multiple infestations at one time.

The quiz will help you prioritize your management plan by species. The following four questions can be answered after identifying the species you are managing and how much of them you have. You will also want to know why you are managing. For example, are you protecting critical pieces of habitat or promoting certain native species? Feel free to use online resources and reach out to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture or other professionals for assistance.

For *each* invasive plant species on or near the land that you manage, answer these questions and add the points:


* *" How much of the invasive species do you have? (i.e. How much land area is impacted by it?)"*

* 1 point – I don’t have any, but it’s near my land
* 2 points – Just a small amount, but it’s spreading
* 3 points – A fair amount, and it’s still spreading
* 4 points – A LOT! It’s covering the whole area completely

* *" What’s the value of the habitat being invaded?"*

* 1 point – It’s invading my favorite area that I want to protect
* 2 points – It’s invading the disturbed edge or areas that I don’t care as much about

* *" What impacts are the invasive plant species causing?"*

* 1 point – All is lost; it changes the area so much that few species survive
* 2 points – It invades undisturbed areas and outcompetes native species
* 3 points – It doesn’t outcompete native species, but natives don’t regenerate
* 4 points – It invades disturbed areas like edges

* *" How hard is the invasive species to control?"*

* 1 point – Not too bad, one treatment and it’s pretty much gone
* 2 points – Takes multiple treatments, but eventually it’s gone and native species replace it
* 3 points – Takes multiple treatments and native species don’t come back readily
* 4 points – No effective treatment has been found

Now add the total points for each species. *"_The lower the score, the higher the priority._"*

Hopefully this quiz is a helpful place to start planning weed management on your property. Weed management can be a difficult and long process, especially if you have a long list of species to address. While tackling invasive species, focus on the future you’re managing for rather than the issues you are managing against. It’s important to remember not to lose sight of the bigger picture. Or, in a planty way, don’t miss the forest for the trees!

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For more information on noxious weeds and invasive insects, listen and subscribe to Smarty Plants [ [link removed] ], a Minnesota Department of Agriculture podcast. 

*MEDIA: *Contact Brittany Raveill, MDA Communications, at [email protected] or 651-201-6131 for more information on Weed of the Month






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