Phenotypic plasticity is suggested as a mechanism in which non-native plants can outcompete native plants in order to better form an advantage over native plant species. Phenotype plasticity is the ability for specific traits of a genotype to alter to better fit an entirely new environment. (Richards. 2006.) Examples of known phenological events include; flowering and bud burst, leaf expansion and seed set. (Cleland 2012) The connection between invasive species and phenotypic plastic was only first made almost half a century ago. To understand the logic behind this theory one must understand the background of invasive species. Invasive species generally enter with relatively low numbers of seeds into a new environment in and with a completely
