After the city of Arden removed an invasive reed from 8 hectares of wetland, native plant cover initially increased by 10 percentage points. Two years later, however, that recovery had plateaued. Soil compaction and altered water flow, conditions the reed-removal program did not address, continued to prevent seedlings from establishing in much of the site. Reed removal was therefore necessary for recovery, but the evidence indicates that it was not sufficient by itself.