Invasive plants are dismantling ecosystems and choking out habitat for wildlife across Indiana — and they're doing it from your backyard. Invasive plants don't play by the same ecological rules as native plants, giving them a competitive edge. Honeysuckle, for example, opens its leaves earlier in the year than many native plants and as a result rob light and water from those around them. Eventually, they choke them out and take the space for their own. Other invasive plants may flower earlier in the season or grow more quickly. Like honeysuckle, they have biological advantages over native plants. The effect can eradicate habitats, reduce the amount of food-bearing native plants for certain insects and woodland animals, and overall change the surrounding ecosystem for the worse.