Results/Conclusions Multivariate analyses indicate that while temperature (particularly freezing temperatures) is the most important factor correlated with the altitudinal distribution of native species, soil nutrients (nitrogen and potassium) are the most important factors correlated with the altitudinal distribution of non-native species. For T. officinale, positive interactions with native species are key in the success of this invasive species, with the importance of this interaction increasing with elevation. Positive interactions are highly species-specific, where the abiotic soil characteristics control the success of T. officinale. Experiments simulating future climate change scenarios indicate that under warmer conditions positive interactions are not longer important at very high elevation but highly relevant at lower elevations. These results open new questions about the role of native vegetation on mitigating the spread of invasive species on the future.