Ecological tradeoffs in non-native plant management

► Controlling non-native plants should benefit overall land management goals. ► We assessed impacts of Centaurea stoebe L. and common herbicide used for control. ► Native plant cover, richness, and composition were not affected by C. stoebe. ► Herbicide significantly reduced native forb cover and increased non-native grass. ► For conservation, non-target effects of controlling exotics may outweigh benefits.