Online plant sellers could make it harder for Indiana to enforce its new invasive plants rule. Well-known companies allow Hoosiers to purchase plants from all over the world without knowing theyre invasive.

The collaborative has put together a website to help people control woody invasive plants in the Great Lakes region.

Under the Terrestrial Plant Rule, the plants are prohibited from being sold, gifted, exchanged or even transported within the state, punishable by a $500 fine per incident per day.

Additional funds provided by Congress for Great Lakes environmental improvements will be used to hasten cleanups of highly toxic sites and step up work on other longstanding forms of pollution, federal officials said Thursday.

Reconnecting to Our Waterways created a guide to help residents remove harmful invasive plants in their backyards and communities and replace them with native plants.

The funding from Indiana's Department of Natural Resources will boost efforts to control or manage non-native species, including curly-leaf pondweed and Eurasian watermilfoil.

State officials will be educating 350 growers and 3,500 nursery dealers, and the public, about what plants will soon be illegal.

Several groups support a ban on the sale of Callery pear and Norway maple.

Certain types of bamboo are considered invasive, and can quickly spread to multiple properties. But, there's nothing to stop Hoosiers from planting it.

Public and private land managers in the state spend more than $8 million a year controlling invasive plants like Bell's honeysuckle and garlic mustard.