The Hamilton County Invasives Partnership (HIP) and Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) want to help you replace your invasive landscape vegetation with native species that support a diverse, healthy environment.
Via a trade in program, county property owners can show proof of removal of an invasive species on their county property and receive up to three, three-gallon native trees or shrubs for free.
Over 80 percent of invasive species growing in Indiana are thought to have come from the landscape trade. Many popular landscape trees and shrubs such as Callery pear species and burning bush easily escape landscape cultivation and take over nearby rights-of-way, roadsides, and natural areas. These infestations cause erosion, animal habitat degradation, and loss of important native plant species. While many property owners may not see their specimen spreading, birds delight in the high-sugar berries of invasives like Asian bush honeysuckle and burning bush then deposit the seeds in natural areas as they fly.
To encourage homeowners to remove these species from their properties, SWCD is offering a trade in program. Successful applicants will be able to choose from the over 35 native tree and shrub species available in SWCD’s fall native tree sale.
Landscape plantings of Callery pear species, burning bush, Japanese barberry, and Norway Maple are the preferred species for removal but you can apply when removing other invasive species listed on the Official Indiana Invasive Species Council Invasive Plant List. Trades are limited to one per address. Learn more and apply at hcinvasives.org.