BEWARE! DO NOT Buy These 11 Plants at the Garden Center / Invasive Plants That Spell Trouble

Are you planning to spruce up your landscape with new plants? Hold on! 🛑 Before shopping, be sure to review the top 11 plants commonly found at garden centers that you should avoid! These seemingly harmless species can quickly turn invasive, wreaking havoc on your garden and the surrounding ecosystem.

From fast-spreading ground covers to aggressive climbers and unruly shrubs, we expose the potential risks they pose and the detrimental effects they can have on native flora and fauna.

But don't worry, we won't leave you empty-handed! We also offer alternative plant suggestions that are non-invasive, ensuring you make environmentally-friendly choices for your landscape.

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CHAPTERS
0:00 - Introduction
0:34 - Invasive Plants
1:20 - Chameleon Plant
2:26 - Lily of the Valley
3:14 - Butterfly Bush
4:06 - Callery Pear
4:51 - Bamboo
6:12 - Burning Bush
7:04 - Barberry
7:57 - Scotch Broom
8:47 - English Ivy
9:44 - Japanese Honeysuckle
10:29 - Mexican Evening Primrose

#invasive #plants #landscaping #nature #conservation #wildlife #perennials #shrubs #vines #gardencenter #nursery #gardeningtips #gardening

[thecoffelady]

Mexican Evening Primrose…I bought a 6 pack about 40 years ago, it became a neighborhood issue, it has invaded at least 8 houses and 2 streets. It also grew in my bathroom pipes and under my tile by my toilet, this plant caused thousands of dollars of damage to my bathroom. We had to buy a new toilet, replumb the entire bathroom, buy a new sink and get new cabinets. The roots destroyed everything! Don’t do it! That’s my rant for the day😳

[annakiekenphd]

Thank you for making suggestions for alternative plants rather than just saying which plants are invasive.

[jennifercoots]

Judging by the comments, it seems the term "invasive" needs to be defined, as well as the difference between "invasive" and

[ashleansmith]

This video said EXACTLY what I needed to hear. I adore how the narrator suggested alternatives after describing the invasives.

If I could add two more to this list: blackberry and Rosa Multifora. These two get out of hand almost immediately and they issue direct eviction notices to wildlife (and people) due to their suffocating nature and strong needle-sharp thorns.

I live in Southern Maryland and, between the Japanese honeysuckle, blackberry, and rosa multiflora, we are —and I’m a being completely serious here— we ARE losing our forests and wildlife. I am fighting back so aggressively on my 8 acres in the Port Tobacco River watershed. So much so, that today when I saw my golden rod patch being crept on by all three, I stopped the car, got out and had myself a blood bath while ripping it all out. The threat of scars and sore hands no longer scares me away because I know now the damage these invasive plants are causing.

It is the saddest thing to realize that I likely only have 20 more good years left in me to fight this fight. I’m 41 now and will likely dedicate my life to removing these species from my property and aggressively reseeding with natives, hoping that the good ones spread, and not the bad ones.

[sidilicious]

English ivy is an awful problem here in NW Oregon. It completely takes over native ground cover, and it climbs trees and weakens and kills them.

[emmabrasseur]

I removed a trumpet vine 5 years ago. I am still battling the sprouts that spring up all over my yard and flowers beds.

[mariannewallace]

I just have to include mint to this list. I recently bought a house whose yard was neglected and overgrown. After cutting back it was discovered that mint was growing everywhere. I can't put anything in the ground until it is gone. It might take several weeks but sure enough after a rain - a few more mint leaves come up through the soil. A whole summer wasted on mint pulling.

[VickiWeston-it]

Morning GLory has all these nightmares beat. This beautiful purple vine flower will climb from below and suffocate any plant it touches. Undetected going through grass until flower shows its face to say, "GOT YAH".😅

[teresacoffman]

I would suggest adding Trumpet Vine to your list. It’s growing on the neighboring property and has invaded our raised garden beds. I pulled out several thick roots over ten ft long from our garden bed just so we could plant our garden this year.

[graphicallydeb]

Bamboo is not only invasive, but the roots are deep, strong, and can’t get rid of.. it is taking over the neighborhood.

[annegoodridge]

I had chameleon plant in my front garden. I later had the drive dug up to a depth of 1 metre, hardcore laid, sand on top, then bricks laid. Guess what came through 18 months later?

[scpatlnow]

I have been fighting English Ivy in Georgia for years. The best way I have found to control it besides pulling it up is to spray it with 30% vinegar (not the 5% white vinegar you buy at the grocery store). You can find it at big box hardware stores. Mix it in a sprayer with 2 tsp dish detergent, and a tsp of salt. Spray it on any ivy you see, but be careful not to get it on anything you want to keep...so don't do it on a windy day. The vines are usually brown and dead the next day making it a lot easier to pull anything left. Just make sure you dont compost it either. I bag it up to be taken away

[jaygray]

Most of these plants aren't a problem where I live so I was really surprised to see barberry and burning bush on the list. I appreciate the way alternate plants are listed.

[TheSuburbanGardenista]

Fantastic video! I will never understand why garden centres sell invasive plants - or at least sell them with a warning for indoor use only or something. Thank you for highlighting this important issue and sharing many of the culprits that make our way into gardens across the country. Let's hope some changes are made after so many people watching this! I know I have a bit of research to do! Thanks again for sharing these important messages!! 💚

[BobZed]

I've never had any issues with Butterfly Bush, but Scotch Broom is hellishly invasive. I've pulled up wheelbarrows full of it. On the plus side, this makes for some pretty spectacular bonfires, as the plant seems to be loaded with turpentine. It burns even when green.

[Water_Rat]

Horseradish is another plant to take care with. I planted some in my garden and thankfully I looked up information on growing horseradish and learned how invasive it is. I dug it out within 3 days and transferred it to a pot. It is apparently a real spreader in the garden and even the smallest root fragments left behind will regrow. I love making my own fresh horseradish so I container grow it only and have it sitting on concrete so there is no chance of roots touching neighbouring soil.

[christinemoccia]

I planted a little beach rose at the front of my walk way and it was so cute and years later it took over the most part of the walk and threatens visitors like Gandalf, " You shall not Beware of the beach

[deepost]

I was so proud when I got English Ivy to grow up a brick wall. When it started lifting the roof off the house, I whacked it off at the roots and picked roots off that wall.

[eliasross]

Go for native species that benefit pollinators in your area. They also won’t be invasive, although some can be aggressive.

[HossBlues]

No. 11 Harebell! We had a single plant show up in our landscape many years ago and thought the hanging bell flowers we very attractive. The plant is now invading the yard and nearby woods. The rhizomes make it impossible to remove fully. I keep it somewhat under control pulling it from the woodland garden area but throughout the yard cutting and spraying with broadleaf herbicide just slows it down. Any patches found in other areas get covered with a sheet of EPDM rubber (leftover from a project) and it eventually dies.
Our Mulberry tree is also posing a problem with new tree shoots popping up all over our property. We’re in Northeast Wisconsin