10 Popular Plants That Can Be Detrimental to Native Eco-Systems

Having a beautiful garden is a wonderful feeling, but there are good and bad ways to do it. Most of us know by now that using appropriate plants is the best choice for helping the local ecosystem, particularly the insects and other animals.

The thing about using native plants is that the animals and even other flora have evolved to coexist with them. The problem with introducing non-natives is that they can seed readily, outcompete native herbs and shrubs, and offer nothing to local animals.

Also, some of the most popular plants to put in ornamental gardens are harmful to the environment around them. In other words, these plants are best avoided when creating a luxurious landscape to bask in.

Bushes, Shrubs, & Trees

The biggest problem with non-native bushes, shrubs, and trees is those species that are especially adept at seeding themselves quickly. They’ll often form a blanket of botanical prowess over landscapes such that natives have no space to grow anymore. Here are some of the biggest offenders.

• Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana) are beautiful flowering trees that bloom in spring and make a lasting impression. Unfortunately, they have a weak structure that makes them susceptible to storm damage, and they don’t Support local animals very well. Natives to check into instead of Bradford pear trees are serviceberry and shadbush.
• Burning bush (Euonymus ssp) has fiery red leaves that impress onlookers by standing out in the waves of greenery. However, they don’t offer native fauna anything, and worse yet, birds spread their seeds far and wide. Burning bush, then, quickly forms a dense thicket that snuffs out local plants. Fragrant sumac, ninebark, and red chokeberry might be native alternatives.
• Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) has amazing flowers that attract an abundance of butterflies. The problem is that they do not Support the life cycle of butterflies. Caterpillars don’t work on butterfly bushes. Plus, they will self-seed readily and form carpets of butterfly bushes instead allowing native plants to grow. Azaleas, hydrangeas, and other native bushes are more responsible options.
• Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is a fast-spreading, invasive plant with attractive foliage and berries. That said, they are thorny and grow densely because they spread so well. They are great habitats for mice and similar rodents, but they can cause issues in human habitats. Why not plant blueberries instead?
• Privet (Ligustrum ssp) is a very popular choice for hedges, and in fact, it’s used widely in the UK. Like these other plants, though, privet has the habit of spreading to places it hasn’t been planted and overtaking the native plants. That deprives local animals of foodstuff and habitats they have grown to rely on. Instead, look for local viburnum species.

Vines

Where invasive shrubs and trees tend to outcompete native plants not evolve to compete with them, many non-native vines can outcompete native species as well as grow so rampantly that they pull down and/or smother trees and shrubs. Beautiful or not, these are bad choices for the local ecosystem.

• Asiatic Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is highly invasive, able to both seed itself via its pretty red autumn berries and spread via runners underground. Bittersweet can pull down trees in just a season or two. Maybe try trumpet honeysuckle instead.
• English Ivy (Hedera helix) can conjure regret as it spreads over every inch of the ground, climbs up every tree trunk, and invades the house. It’s evergreen and an impressive groundcover, but wild strawberry, Virginia creeper, and native clematis might be a better choice.
• Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) undeniably has a wonderful fragrance which is why it has been such a popular home garden plant for decades. Unfortunately, it is voracious and spreads like mad into wild spaces. Trumpet, aka coral, honeysuckle is a native that can work in place.
• Periwinkle (Vinca ssp) puts out an abundance of petite blue-purple flowers as it carpets the ground. It doesn’t, however, offer much to native animals, and it suppresses the native plants that would. Again, creeping phlox could be a great native for doing a similar landscaping job.
• Wisteria (Wisteria sinesis) is gorgeous in early spring before trees have leafed out. Its amazing purple blooms look like scrumptious bunches of grapes hanging through the forest. The Asian varieties of wisteria will take over an entire landscape and envelope a house in no time at all. There is a less aggressive American wisteria that has similar, though admittedly less impressive, blooms.

In short, it’s entirely possible to make the garden stunning, diverse, and colorful without introducing problematic invasives. The trick is to look for native plants fulfilling the same natural niche and use them instead. Hopefully, that seems a little more possible now.