An escaped plant is a cultivated plant that has escaped from agriculture, forestry or garden cultivation and has become naturalized in the wild. Usually not native to an area, escaped plants may become invasive.[2] Therefore, escaped plants are the subject of research in invasion biology.[3]
Some ornamental plants have characteristics which allow them to escape cultivation and become weedy in alien ecosystems with far-reaching ecological and economic consequences. Escaped garden plants may be called garden escapes[4] or escaped ornamentals.[5] Sometimes, their origins can even be traced back to botanical gardens.
- ^ Lantana (Lantana camara) by Weed Management Guide
- ^ Definition of escaped plant Archived 23 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine by Dave's Garden
- ^ Mulvaney M (2001) The effect of introduction pressure on the naturalisation of ornamental woody plants in south-eastern Australia. In 'Weed Risk Assessment'. (Eds RH Groves, FD Panetta, JG Virtue). (CSIRO Publishing: Collingwood)
- ^ garden escape by treeterms.co.uk. Philip Wilson in association with Orange Pippin & Warren IT Services. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ Escaped Ornamentals by Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board. Retrieved 1 January 2024.