Invasive plants are a tough obstacle to handle in your yard and in the wild, but sometimes, curbing their spread is as easy as preparing a snack.
TikTok duo Jordan and Silvan (@homegrown_handgathered) posted a video about the Autumn olive shrub that is native to Asia but invasive in the U.S. It produces small, red berries that are edible and apparently quite tasty.
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"Autumn olive is an incredibly invasive non-native plant, and it overtakes native plants in a lot of field edges and even deep in the forest," they said in the video. "This wild fruit is a powerhouse of antioxidants, and it tastes like Fruit Roll-Ups!"
They shared that Autumn olive berries are rich in lycopene and contain up to 20 times more of the antioxidant than the average tomato.
"Aside from their health benefits, eating them helps reduce their spread in the forest, since every berry we eat is one less that gets tossed into the forest by a bird. Also, who doesn't love foraged Fruit Roll-Ups?" the pair said.
Invasive species such as the Autumn olive shrub are a threat to ecosystems and can be harmful to native plants and wildlife. Making efforts to contain, remove, and sometimes eat them is important for restoring ecological balance.
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You can help by starting in your own backyard. Installing native plants and rewilding your yard are great ways to support pollinators, wildlife, and biodiversity.
Commenters on Jordan and Silvan's video were intrigued by the idea of eating an invasive plant as a means of controlling it, but still expressed concern about how quickly the Autumn olive shrub has spread.
"Might be delicious but pretty much impossible to get rid of," one commenter said.
"I used to eat these all the time! They grew all around the neighborhood near my home when I was a kid so I'd go on walks just to eat them," another wrote.
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"Just make sure you throw the seeds in the trash when you're done. Also, better to control the source of these berries if they're on your property," a third TikTok user commented.
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