7 Invasive Plants That Don’t Belong in Your Garden (and What to Plant Instead)

By: Arricca Elin SanSone for Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Shrubs

As gardeners, we adore plants that are low-maintenance, fast-growing, and adaptable to many different types of conditions. Unfortunately, some popular plants that check those blocks are considered invasive. But what does that mean?

Basically, invasive plants are bullies. They crowd out native plants and upset local ecosystems that wildlife rely on for food and shelter. These plants spread aggressively by seeds, creeping stems and roots, or fruits eaten by birds and dropped elsewhere. Unfortunately, you still can buy many invasive plants at retailers and online nurseries, so you may not realize they’re a bad choice when you’re shopping. 

You can check the status of a plant on invasive.org or through your local university coop extension service. You also can find many native alternatives that support local wildlife, preserve biodiversity, and can be integrated into your existing borders and beds.

In addition, plant breeders are developing non-invasive varieties. “People often turn to the familiar because what they know already works,” says Stacey Hirvela, horticulturist and marketing manager for Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs. “Recognizing this, we have long made it a goal to introduce versions of these popular plants that don’t set viable seed, or set no seed at all.”

The development of any new plant typically takes 6 to 8 years. “For non-invasive alternatives, you add another 5 years for sterility testing,” says Hirvela. “This involves harvesting any fruit set, counting them, germinating them, counting the number of seeds that germinate (if any), and then repeating this process over multiple years.” Because it’s a substantial investment, non-invasive varieties have only recently started to come to market.

Ahead, here are the most commonly available invasive plants that don’t belong in your garden, as well as what to plant instead:

Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii )

Native to Japan and China, butterfly bush is a popular deciduous shrub for its spikes of flowers that butterflies love. However, the shrub easily invades disturbed sites and natural areas.

Alternatives: Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), such as Sugar Shack, has charming round blooms and brilliant fall color. Or plant non-invasive cultivars of butterfly bush, such as Lo & Behold Blue Chip Jr. or Pugster Blue.

Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)

Native to Japan, this deciduous shrub with bright fall color can form dense stands that crowd out native plants. Its branches root where they touch the ground, and it also spreads by seed. The spines also make it unappealing.
Alternatives: Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) is a North American native with pretty red berries providing cold-weather interest. Or look for sterile barberry shrubs such as Sunjoy Mini Maroon.

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)

Native to Asia and India, this late summer bloomer spreads aggressively by seed, so it’s considered invasive in some states. But even if it’s not invasive where you live, it drops seeds that form many nuisance plants.

Alternatives: Swamp mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) is a native alternative with similar flowers. Or plant rose of Sharon varieties that have few to no seeds, such as Azzurri Blue Satin or Sugar Tip.

English Ivy (Hedera helix)

This perennial is planted as a groundcover or vine, but it will take over your garden because it tolerates all types of soil and growing conditions. It roots from seeds, roots and leaf nodes, making it an aggressive grower that can spread up to 100 feet tall and wide.

Alternatives: Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) is an annual in every color from lime green to burgundy. Or plant climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris), which has lacy summer-time flowers and clinging rootlets that won’t damage structures.

Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica)

Also called nandina, this woody shrub has evergreen leaves that resemble bamboo, fruit that birds love (which helps it spread), and drought and shade tolerance so it grows anywhere, displacing native species. Its berries are toxic to pets and some wild birds, especially cedar waxwings.

Alternatives: Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a native deciduous shrub with pretty purple berries. Or choose inkberry (Ilex glabra) varieties such as Gem Box or Strongbox for their rounded evergreen forms that boast shiny foliage.

Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus)

Native to Asia, this deciduous shrub is loved for its fast growth and bright red fall color. But it can establish in forests, fields, and disturbed areas where it will out-compete native plants to form dense thickets.

Alternatives: Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is a native shrub with beautiful flowers and red fall color. Or plant seedless burning bush cultivars, such as Fire Ball Seedless.

Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford’)

Planted since the 1960s, this cultivar cannot pollinate itself but can cross-pollinate with other callery pear cultivars. It has become naturalized in many areas and creates dense thickets that crowd out native plants. It’s also a structurally-weak tree with smelly flowers.

Alternative: Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) is a native tree with pretty flowers and edible berries. Spring Glory is a pretty cultivar that stays more compact for smaller yards. Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) is a native with small spring flowers, berries birds love, with an attractive branching pattern.

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