(Image Source: Wen Zeng / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / MGN)

By: Associated Press

ATHENS, Ga. — State officials say foreign invasive plants are continuing to take over Georgia’s forests and grasslands.

The Athens Banner-Herald reports that one of them, Asian privet, now infests more than a million acres in the state. That’s according to recently released Georgia Forestry Commission statistics.

The report shows that privet’s hold on Georgia grew from an estimated 637,916 acres (258,155 hectares) in 2009 to 1.1 million acres (451,597 hectares) in 2015.

The forestry commission recently released its latest “Dirty Dozen” list of the top 12 non-native invasive plants.

One of the better known invasive plants — kudzu — is only No. 6 on the list, at 35,981 acres (14,561 hectares). That’s a fraction of privet’s spread.

The forestry commission and conservation groups aim to push back the invasive plants.

(WCTV)