An invasive plant species is invading southwest Michigan communities and threatens to seriously hurt your pets.

The swallow-wart can be lethal if your pet eats it. The plant wraps itself like a vine around fences, shrubs and trees and, as they get older, may actually bloom pretty flowers, experts tell WSBT.

The earlier you can get rid of the plant, the better. The plant usually starts out as ground cover, with a dark, waxy-leaved vine.  You can use herbicides, burn the seed pods or dig out the entire root of the plant to get rid of the swallow-wart.

Europeans brought the plant over years ago to plant in the U.S. as decoration.