7 Ornamental Plants to Fear (and Perhaps Not Grow)

While the word “invasive” often crops in gardening talk, not every “invasive” is created equal. For example, dandelions are invasive in America, but they have naturalized so completely at this point that it’s hard to consider them as such. It was originally introduced by colonists who used it for food. Recently, people are foraging the leaves and roots.

Then, we have plants that have seriously gotten away from us. Kudzu is notorious in the Southeast because it festoons trees along the highway and, thus, has seemingly taken over the entire ecosystem. In reality, it is a plant that was once subsidized by the government to control erosion and, ironically, repair mistreated agricultural lands. Interestingly, kudzu is also edible and nutritious.

Then, there are daffodils. Daffodils have naturalized and grow wild in the Eastern US, multiplying year after year to create ephemeral wonderlands each spring. Technically, they don’t belong here. But, most people don’t consider them invasive. Daffodils, unlike dandelions and kudzu, are toxic to pets and people.

This is all to say that “invasive” is a slippery word, much the same as “weed”. But, undoubtedly, there are some plants that can be problematic in the wrong setting, and to some degree, these plants should be approached with due trepidation, particularly when it comes to cultivating them. There are native alternatives.

1. Chinese Wisteria

Though absolutely beautiful in the springtime, this vine of prolific purple blooms is adept at spreading, climbing, and consuming gardens, trees, and even homes. Once it has started, it is nearly impossible to stop, and it spreads elsewhere.

• Instead of Chinese wisteria, there are less aggressive native American wisteria and Kentucky wisteria varieties.

2. Periwinkles

Common periwinkles (Vinca minor) and bigleaf periwinkles (V. major) are ground-dwelling, semi-evergreen vines that spread voraciously into dense mats and choke out low-lying, native plants. They survive in sunny spots and can move into shaded forest floors.

• Instead of periwinkles, there are several different wild gingers that can be planted in shady forests, as can bearberry, partridge berry, and Allegheny spurge.

3. English Ivy

English ivy is a monster in shady spots, growing quickly and consuming the forest floor as well as climbing and completely covering trees. This snuffs out native vegetation and slowly kills trees by blocking out the sunlight. Even so, it’s still a popular ornamental in the US.

• Virginia creeper, often called a weed, is a native, shade-tolerant vine, and Allegheny spurge and wild gingers can do the groundwork.

4. Japanese Honeysuckle

It smells lovely and is very attractive that attracts pollinators, but it forms dense mats that kill native vegetation, including small trees and shrubs. It commonly takes over large areas in the Eastern coastal states. It’s very difficult to get rid of.

• Maypops, a native passionflower, is voracious and pollinators love it, and trumpet honeysuckle is also voracious but native, thus not “invasive” by some standards.

5. Japanese Barberry

This scrubby, thorny shrub is popular because it is tolerant of all sorts of climate maladies and doesn’t suffer from deer browsing. However, it spreads readily, outcompetes native plants in wild spaces, and—the big problem—changes soil chemistry to be more alkaline. It also harbors the ticks that carry Lyme disease.

• Bayberry, winterberry, and inkberry are all native alternatives to Japanese barberry.

6. Belladonna

We all know that some plants are toxic, but some plants are extremely toxic, enough to simply keep them off the growing list, no matter how beautiful. Belladonna, naturalized in the US, is extremely toxic, fatally so, to humans and animals. It can even cause problems via touching. It spreads very easily and regrows for even small bits of root left in the soil. Why risk the accident?

• Another nightshade, flowering tobacco plants (Nicotiana spp.) would be a good, similarly sized plant with lots of pretty, nice-smelling flowers.

7. Running Bamboo

Bamboo is a tough plant. It is beautiful, fast-growing, and evergreen. It’s useful in many ways, and people love it. It has the reputation of being invasive, which can be true, but it is also very easy to control when planted with special consideration.

• A series of clumping bamboo can be a good alternative to running bamboo. It will also grow quickly, but it doesn’t run away.

There are many other plants to be careful about planting, too many to cover in this space. Hopefully, though, we’ve helped to provide some good ideas about being careful about what we plant and the reality that there are always more responsible choices that provide similar traits. It just makes sense to make use of what we know.

Related Content:

• 7 Ornamental Trees That Provide Edible Delights
• 7 Ornamental Plants You Can Eat
• Lamb’s Ear: How to Grow and Use It in Your Garden and Home
• 6 Ways to Make Gardening More Fun
• 10 Edible Groundcovers to Grow Outside the Garden

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