Expert makes surprising discovery while searching under plants on the beach: 'Let's see what I can find'

Invasive plant species can often totally devastate your lawn or garden by overwhelming the plants you want to grow. However, a video by a TikTok user shows that some plants can still weather the chaos and grow even when surrounded by invasive species, showing the importance of native planting.

Jessie Dickson (@sacramentofoodforest) posted a video showing how to remove an invasive ice plant species off a coastline in Monterey, California.

@sacramentofoodforest #california #invasivespecies #succulents #eucalyptus let's see what we can find while removing invasive plants from a beach in Monterey California #rareplants #ecology #beach #restoration #dudleya #endangeredspecies #trees #native #succulent #santacruz #sanjose #bayarea #cali #botany #conservation #hike #seed #horticulture #foraging #plant #history #invasiveplants #nativeplanttok #nativeplants #nature #wildplants #plantsoftiktok #planttok #plants ♬ Blade Runner 2049 - Synthwave Goose

"Let's see what I can find under all this invasive ice plant," Jessie says.

Ice plants (Carpobrotus) — native to South Africa and brought to California in the early 1900s to stabilize soil along railroad tracks — often grow along coastal areas and spread easily, displacing native plant species by forming dense mats that outcompete the plants for sunlight and nutrients, directly impacting biodiversity.

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However, growing underneath these ice plants was a Dudleya Farinosa, a species of succulent native to the California coast, that was not only still growing but even ready to begin seeding. As the video explains, this is unfortunately the most poached plant in California, often being targeted because of high demand overseas.

Plant poaching, especially of native species, also leads to further reduction in biodiversity, habitat damage, and even total loss of native populations in certain areas.

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Videos such as these showcase the importance of planting native species and allowing them to grow by removing invasive species that halt their spread, as well as disrupting poaching efforts to remove native species for profit.

Investing in landscaping efforts to turn your lawn into a haven for native plant species can help ensure their seeds can more easily spread, saving you money on water, fertilizer, and plant feed.

Check out this guide on upgrading to a natural lawn to learn more about how to get started.

Should we be actively working to kill invasive species?

Absolutely 💯