The
Invasive Species Specialist Group list the tree as one of the world's 100 most invasive species in the Global Invasive Species Database. The seeds are dispersed from gardens into natural forest habitats by fruit-eating birds. Once dispersed into
tropical moist forests it takes hold vigorously, invading any spot in the
understory that receives patches of sunlight, and becomes a
noxious weed. It is known for being the worst invasive plant in
Hawaii, where it is commonly referred to as the "purple plague", and threatens to destroy entire
ecosystems. The velvet tree has been known to replace the native understory of Hawaiian mountainous forests. The plant itself has a shallow root system as compared to the native species. These shallower root systems are unable to bind the soil together which has led to landslides in certain regions of Hawaii. Hawaiian populations of miconia were first discovered in the 1990s, and since the plant's invasive potential was already well-known, control and eradication efforts began immediately. Uprooting and herbicides are used to remove plants, but
biological control has not yet met with great success. Teams of volunteers often lead expeditions into the forest to remove miconia plants by hand. The tree has become an invasive species in Tahiti and a quarter of the rainforest on the island is now made up of miconia stands. For this reason, it is frequently called the "green
cancer" on the island. In Sri Lanka it invades upcountry mountain forest areas. It forms monospecific stands that shade out native vegetation. ==References==