2025 Invasive Plant Swap

Program Information

The Invasive Plant Swap is only open to residents of Tippecanoe County, Indiana.  We have different funding sources for street tree replacement and private property replacement.  Depending on the location of your invasive plant, we may or may not be able to fund a replacement at this time.  Trees planted between the sidewalk and the road are considered city trees.  Applicants with city trees will work with the City Forester from Lafayette or West Lafayette on their tree removal and replacement process. Up to 10 plants can be replaced. 

Here is the process required to partake in this program:

• Fill out Google Form below with basic information, and attach photos of your invasive plant(s) at the end of the form.  These photos should be of:
  • the entire plant in your landscaping
  • leaves and stems
  • flowers/buds (if present)
• You may also send photos of your invasive plant(s) to tictaboutinvasives@gmail.com if you are unable to attach them to the Google Form.  Your application will not be considered until photos have been submitted.
• Once photo verification is complete, you will be sent a contract to sign and return, and a list of native replacements to choose from (1 replacement per invasive removed, up to 10 replacements total).
• Pick up your native replacement(s) on September 25 during the SWCD Tree & Shrub Sale at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds.
• Send in pictures proving that you have removed the invasive plant(s) by November 3, 2025.

Invasive Removal and Replacement Pickup

Approved applicants will receive a native tree or shrub at the Tippecanoe County Soil and Water Conservation District Native Tree & Shrub Sale in September.  We do not currently have funds to help with the costs of removing the invasive tree.  All participants will be responsible for removing their invasive tree, shrub, or grass, providing proof of removal in the form of before and after pictures, picking up their native replacement, and planting their native replacement.

Timeline

April 1, 2025 - Applications Open

August 1, 2025 - Applications Close

September 25, 2025 - Native Trees and Shrubs Distributed at Fairgrounds 

November 3, 2025 - Send in pictures proving that you have removed the invasive plant(s)

Please visit these websites if you live in Lafayette or West Lafayette and need guidance on plant disposal: 

Lafayette: lafayette.in.gov/337/Yard-Waste-Guidelines

West Lafayette:  westlafayette.in.gov/services/waste-and-removal/yard-waste-collection

Invasive Plant Species Profiles

Here are profiles for the 5 invasive plants we are targeting in 2025. If you have other invasive plants in your landscaping, we may be able to replace them. Please email tictaboutinvasives@gmail.com if you have another species you would like to replace. 

Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) (or Bradford pear and other cultivars) is an invasive plant that was introduced to the U.S. as an ornamental.  They are commonly planted in landscaping and were a popular street tree for many years.  Unfortunately, their seeds spread from a landscape setting to other sites like natural areas, pastures and right-of-ways.  Once there, they can quickly displace native species.  Callery pears are also weak-wooded and prone to damage from wind and ice.

Burning bush (Euonymus alatus) is another invasive plant that was introduced to the U.S. as an ornamental.  This invasive species also spreads by seed into natural areas and outcompetes native species.  While birds are capable of consuming the red-orange berries (thus spreading their seed), burning bush is considered highly toxic to pets and mildly toxic to humans.

Chinese Silvergrass (Miscanthus sinensis), sometimes called maiden grass or miscanthus, is an Asian grass species that has been widely used as an ornamental grass throughout the United States. As you drive through Tippecanoe County, you can find it planted near many mailboxes. Chinese silvergrass spreads via underground stems, called rhizomes, and via windborne seeds and is now escaping into natural areas where it outcompetes native vegetation and reduces wildlife populations. If you have Chinese silvergrass on your property, please consider removing it. Foliar treatment with systemic herbicides such as glyphosate or imazapyr with a surfactant during the active growing period is effective in the autumn and/or late spring. Read and follow all herbicide label instructions. 

Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) spreads both by seed and by the lateral branches laying roots.  Studies have shown that Japanese barberry is a favorite habitat of deer ticks and small mammals that are reservoirs for Lyme disease. 

Privet (Ligustrum spp.) produce berries that are then spread by birds. When spread this way, privets readily invade natural areas, especially floodplain forests. A few different species of privet can be found in the Midwest: border privet, European privet, Chinese privet, etc.  No members of the Ligustrum genus are native to our area.