Non-native trees and shrubs are widely found in much of Pennsylvania, including but not limited to Callery pear, tree-of-heaven, Norway maple, burning bush, Japanese barberry, butterfly bush, privet, and autumn olive. While many of these species are planted to add beauty and ornamental value to a landscape, numerous unsuspecting homeowners and commercial landscapers may not realize the negative ecological and economic impacts these species can have on nearby natural areas.

Removing invasive plants helps reduce the likelihood of them becoming unwanted escapees into neighboring properties, parks, and forests. As part of the Pennsylvania Invasive Replace-ive Program, property owners are incentivized to remove unwanted invasive plants from their landscape in order to receive free native trees and shrubs that can be planted in their place.

Learn more about the 2026 Pennsylvania Invasive Replace-ive Program by watching the following webinar hosted by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and featuring guest speaker, Celine Colbert, from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.