Native plants have adapted over hundreds or thousands of years to the area they inhabit. They interact with other plants and animals in a complex web of relationships developed from adapting together. Non-native plants were brought to an area, often by people for food, medicine, or as decorative plants. Due to this, they have not evolved along with the rest of an ecosystem's species and thus can disrupt the greater habitat over time. Some non-native plants have characteristics that allow them to spread rapidly where they are introduced. These plants are known as invasive and they outcompete native plants, decreasing biodiversity and food/habitat for native animal species. They can cause all sorts of ecological problems and should be removed whenever they pop up. Both native and invasive plants can be classified as aggressive plants, which are fast-growing plants that outcompete other species. You should be aware of and monitor all aggressive plants, native or invasive, since they could take over your yard.
Not all non-native plants are invasive, but it is better to plant native plants in your yard because they are adapted to the area, should thrive if planted in the right conditions, and provide food/habitat that animals may not get from non-native plants.
Do not plant invasive plants in your yard! Invasives can easily get out of hand and kill your plants, leaving your yard open to erosion and other problems that will negatively impact your property's stormwater management. Remove invasives whenever you identify them and have a plan to replace them with naive plants. Visit the Resource page for plant identification resources.
When managing invasive plants on your property, do your research on each plant and learn
how each plant grows/spreads
how to identify them
the best time of year to remove them
the best removal methods
what to do with the removed plant matter
how to monitor for new plants after removal