Invasive Plants that You Love
LSweeney_moderator
| Posted in Mid-Atlantic Gardening on
Is there an invasive plant that you really like and wish it wasn’t invasive so you could enjoy it with abandon? What do you love about it? Have you found a good native or non-invasive alternative that fills the same niche?
Replies
Dame's rocket! Hesperis matronalis. Pretty, fragrant, edible. Visually, our native garden phlox is the obvious replacement, but I do wish I could plant some dame's rocket!
This is similar to a plant on my list, Lunaria annua!
Petasites japonicus... I love large leaved perennials! But we live near a wetlands and I don't dare try it...
No more:
Tradescantia, blooming now and very pretty blues and purples, but it is going this year.
Trumpet vine (the hummers made me do it). Invaded my ENTIRE yard--as many as 60 plants coming up in an average 15x6 ft bed. Just sprayed 2 new sprouts with poison ivy killer today. My husband dug it up to 6 feet deep for several years--some roots as big around as my arm.
Sweet autumn clematis (you recommended Roger Swain of Victory Garden). Immune to weed killers, must dig up the crown to kill. Again, tried to take over my entire shade garden.
Wild violets--beautiful purple flowers from my late mother's garden. Should never have brought home that one plant when she moved to assisted living. Digging up EVERYWHERE.
Hard to believe, but Japanese painted fern. So cute when young, and so pretty, but reseeds everywhere in my garden. And it is sooo hard to remove; very fibrous/thick, deep roots. Would be great for a hillside.
Green liriope. Just as tenacious as Japanese painted fern. So pretty next to green & white hostas, but it doubles every year in size and is a bully.
Oh, I forgot, as it has been several years.
Almost any ornamental grasses. Too big, too re-seedy. Too bullying.
Love my well-behaved Carex varieties, however.
Agree with julia103 about wild violets, Japanese painted fern, and liriope!
Have you found anything similar that is less aggressive?