The widespread distribution of wolf poison (Stellera chamaejasme L.), spanning from southern Russia to southwestern China and the western Himalayas, contributes to its prevalence as an invasive species in grassland ecosystems. Its extensive range, coupled with its ability to thrive in harsh environments, enables it to rapidly colonize grasslands. Once established, it rapidly spreads and dominates large areas. This process inevitably leads to grassland degradation over time, thereby exerting significant impacts on both ecology and economy. In China, grasslands (26.45 million hectares, 27.5% of land area) face severe degradation, with over 90% impacted by overgrazing and climate change. S. chamaejasme infestations exceed 1.4 million hectares in Qinghai, 546,700 in Gansu, and 133,000 in Inner Mongolia, causing annual forage losses of 137.5 million kg and economic damages of 15–20 million yuan in Gansu alone. These impacts threaten ecosystem stability and pastoral livelihoods. Therefore, research on the spread mechanisms of invasive plants is crucial. In this comprehensive description, we investigated the effects of S. chamaejasme on plant communities and herbivore interactions. Our research showed how this species successfully invades grasslands and establishes itself as a dominant species. S. chamaejasme enhances Its expansion alters soil physicochemical properties, reduces nutrient cycling, and increases pathogenic fungi abundance while enhancing microbial diversity, creating self-favoring soil conditions. With high genetic diversity, robust reproductive capacity, and potent allelopathic effects, it suppresses neighboring vegetation and escapes herbivory due to toxicity, accelerating invasion. These interrelated traits facilitate the rapid invasion and spread of S. chamaejasme on grasslands, ultimately leading to its dominance. This trend poses a significant threat to the health and stability of the grassland ecosystem. Future research should delve into the ecological adaptability and allelopathic mechanisms of S. chamaejasme, aiming to develop effective management strategies for controlling its spread and promoting grassland recovery and biodiversity conservation.