Escape from the garden: spreading, effects and traits of a new risky invasive ornamental plant (Gaillardia aristata Pursh)

Ornamental plants constitute a major source of invasive species. Gaillardia aristata (great blanketflower) is planted worldwide and its escape has been reported in several European countries without ecological impact assessment on the invasive potential. As there is a markedly spreading population with invasive behaviour in Hungary, we aimed to reveal the distribution, impacts and traits of G. aristata. We gathered occurrence data outside the gardens in Hungary, based on literature, unpublished observations by experts and our own records. We investigated the impacts of an extended population, where the species invaded sandy old-fields within a 25 km2 area. Here, we compared the species richness, diversity, community com-position and height of invaded and uninvaded vegetation. Furthermore, we evaluated the traits potentially associated with the invasiveness of G. aristata in comparison with other herbaceous invasive species in the region. We found that G. aristata occurred mostly by casual escapes, but naturalised and invasive popula-tions were also detected in considerable numbers. G. aristata usually appeared close to gardens and ruderal habitats, but also in semi-natural and natural grasslands and tended to spread better in sandy soils. We found lower plant species richness and Shannon diversity in the invaded sites and the invasion of G. arista-ta significantly influenced the composition of the plant community. The trait analyses revealed that the invasive potential of G. aristata is backed by a wide germination niche breadth, extremely long flowering period, small shoot-root ratio (large absorption and gripping surface), large seeds (longer persistence) and dispersal by epizoochory of grazing livestock (mostly by sheep), probably helping the species' survival and spreading in the disturbed, species-poor, sandy, open habitats. These functional traits, as well as the ornamental utilisation, may act together with the aridisation of the climate and the changing land-use practices of G. aristata from ornamental plant to casual alien and then to invasive species in certain environmental conditions (i.e. sandy soils, species-poor communities, human disturbances), although it seems to be not strategy and long-term monitoring of this species would be important to halt its spreading in time.

Automated summary

Ornamental plants, such as Gaillardia aristata, have become a major source of invasive species. This study focuses on the distribution and impacts of G. aristata in Hungary. It is found that the species mainly spreads through casual escapes and has a higher invasive potential in sandy soils. Functional traits, such as wide germination adaptability and long flowering period, contribute to its invasiveness in disturbed and species-poor habitats.