Admittedly enjoying these eight plant species, yet their assertive characteristics have led me to stop cultivating them, and I implore you to reconsider before sowing them in your own garden as well.
Avoiding Invasive Garden Plants: A Guide for Gardeners
Gardening can be a delightful pastime, but it's essential to consider the impact of the plants we choose. Some garden plants, if not managed properly, can have aggressive growth habits that harm gardens and local environments. Here's a guide to some commonly cited invasive plants and alternatives to consider.
Chinese and Japanese Wisterias
These fast-growing woody vines are known for their fragrant flowers and quick coverage of walls or pergolas. However, they can be harmful if left unchecked. They are toxic if ingested and considered invasive in several states. They have the potential to damage drainpipes, roof tiles, and even bring down fences.
Alternatives: The Star jasmine, ideal for providing evergreen screening in zones 8 to 10, or the lofty hollyhock, a more suitable alternative for providing height at the back of a border, are better choices.
Butterfly Bushes
Attractive for their rich nectar that draws butterflies and other pollinators, butterfly bushes can become dominant and outcompete native species if not well managed.
Alternatives: Sam Greenberg, Horticulturist at Longwood Gardens, suggests Allegheny spurge, a Southeastern U.S. woodland groundcover with fragrant spring blooms and attractive foliage, as a great native alternative to English ivy.
Mint
Mint is a popular herb, often cultivated for its tea-drinking, culinary, and medicinal uses. However, once established, it likes to aggressively spread laterally through its creeping rhizomes.
Management: It's advisable to plant mint in containers or separate beds to prevent it from taking over a garden.
Bear's Breeches (Acanthus mollis)
This tall perennial plant develops deep tap roots over time, making eradication difficult. It can lead to other plants being swamped and eliminated and is classified as an invasive plant in certain states.
Alternatives: The lofty hollyhock may be a more suitable alternative for providing height at the back of a border.
Privet
Privet, specifically Common privet and Chinese privet, are considered invasive hedge plants due to their rapid spread and dense growth habit.
Alternatives: Yew, a slower-growing option that is still evergreen, is a better choice as an alternative to privet, suitable for growing down to zone 4.
Bamboo
Running varieties of bamboo can be invasive and should be contained using root barriers or containers.
Japanese Anemones
These plants bloom from late summer into the fall and are a great option for adding late-season color to a bed or border. However, they propagate vigorously and can crowd out other plants.
Management: Sam Greenberg, Horticulturist at Longwood Gardens, warns that Japanese anemones spread via rhizomes and can become difficult to manage, especially in sandy loam soils where they grow most aggressively.
Other Invasive Plants
Other invasive plants to avoid or grow with caution include Mimosa tree, Purple loosestrife, Water hyacinth, Oriental bittersweet, Kudzu, and Yellow and red hawkweed. These plants are commonly cited for their aggressive growth that can overwhelm other garden species and native plants, and many are difficult to control once established.
In the United Kingdom, buddleias now dominate the railway tracks due to their thriving on scrubland and even masonry cracks. It's advisable to avoid planting these or to manage them with caution to prevent ecological disruption.
By making informed choices and managing our gardens carefully, we can enjoy the beauty of our gardens while preserving local ecosystems.
- For those who are passionate about home-and-garden and are considering the addition of butterfly bushes, it's crucial to manage them well to prevent them from outcompeting native species.
- In the pursuit of a vibrant home-and-garden lifestyle, avoiding invasive plants like Japanese Anemones, which propagate vigorously and can crowd out other plants, is essential for maintaining a healthy and balanced garden ecosystem.
