Take Action

Remove Invasive Plants on Your Property

  • Learn to identify the Sour 16 – the most troublesome invasive species are in our area. Avoid spreading them and try to control them if you have them on your property. 
  • Learn to identify the Early Detection and Rapid Response invasive species for our area so that you can help to report and remove them quickly to prevent them from getting a foothold in Weston. Check out EDDMaps to learn about and contribute to a national database of invasive species reports. 
  • Don’t buy or use plants on the Massachusetts Prohibited Plants List. Check this list before choosing new plants. Do not buy those plants from out-of-state nurseries. Do not transplant them from other areas or accept them from friends and neighbors. 

Note that any invasive species removal within 100 feet of wetland resource areas or within 200 feet of a perennial stream may require approval from the Conservation Commission. Please contact the Conservation Department before you begin.

Landscape with Native Plants

  • Use only native plants in your landscaping and gardening. Choose to purchase truly native plant materials from reputable sources rather than “nativars,” which are cultivars of native plants often sold at garden and home improvement centers. The Weston Plant Pollinator Alliance provides a list of sources for native plant materials and landscape professionals who work with native plants. The Weston Garden Club maintains a native plant garden in front of Town Hall. Learn more about nativars.
  • Keep in mind that a mown lawn is not a native habitat. The fertilizers, herbicides, and watering systems that people use on their lawns are specifically designed to help non-native grasses out-compete everything else. Removing a section or the whole of a lawn and replacing it with native grasses or a garden of native plants adds interest to a property while enhancing environmental values.
  • Learn more about converting lawn to native gardens.
  • Find recommended native plants for Weston from the Weston Plant Pollinator Alliance.
  • Avoid disturbing natural areas whenever possible. Many invasive species thrive in disturbed soils. If you do have to disturb natural areas, replant them with native plants and monitor for invasive species as the areas regrow. 

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