Chemical Warfare from Invasive Plants

Chemical Warfare from Invasive Plants

From Growing Greener by Tom Christopher

April 8, 2026 · 29 min · Episode 357

About this episode

Dr. Susan Kalisz discusses how invasive plants use allelopathy to poison the soil and displace indigenous species.

One of the ways that invasive plants displace indigenous floras is "allelopathy." In a conversation first broadcast in February 2024, Dr. Susan Kalisz of the University of Tennessee Knoxville describes how many introduced plants actually poison the soil so that indigenous species cannot germinate or flourish in their former homes.

People in this episode

Host: Tom Christopher

Guest: Dr. Susan Kalisz

Topics covered

  • invasive plants
  • allelopathy
  • indigenous flora
  • soil poisoning
  • environmental science

Keywords

  • invasive species
  • allelopathy
  • soil health
  • native plants
  • ecology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Tennessee Knoxville

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