Invasive plants like Cynara cardunculus can affect nearby native and non-native plants through allelopathy, where chemicals released by the invader can hinder their growth. A study in Australian fields found that native Juncus pallidus plants were more affected by these chemicals than non-native Lolium rigidum plants. The soil near C. cardunculus had higher levels of certain chemicals and lower pH compared to soil further away. When activated carbon was used to neutralize the chemicals, it had little effect on the non-native plants but helped the natives grow better. This suggests that the allelochemicals from C. cardunculus have a stronger impact on native plants, showing a difference in tolerance between the two types of plants.