Microbes from local plants drive microbial assemble and promote plant growth of the invader Ageratina adenophora

Abstract The role of local plant microbiome in affecting invasive plant growth remains unclear. We examined how aboveground and belowground microbes from 25 phylogenetically distinct local plants affect the growth and endophytic community assembly of the invasive Ageratina adenophora. We found that both the plant phylogenetics and the microbial community composition of local plants shaped endophytic community assembly in A. adenophora seedlings. Phylogenetic and physicochemical factors of the local plants did not explain their effects on growth of A. adenophora. Instead, growth was affected by both the microbial sources associated with local plants and the endophytes selectively enriched by A. adenophora. Aboveground microbes promoted A. adenophora growth more strongly than belowground soil microbes. On average, A. adenophora seedlings inoculated with aboveground tissues harbored a greater relative abundance of beneficial microbes and a lower relative abundance of detrimental microbes compared to those receiving soil inoculation. This study highlighted that the invasive A. adenophora can selectively recruit microbial communities from local plant microbiomes to enhance its growth.