Never Buy These 12 Invasive Plants Being Sold At Garden Centres
Many garden centres offer a wide range of beautiful plants, but not all of them are good choices for your yard or local environment. Some popular varieties are actually invasive species that can cause real harm to nearby ecosystems. These plants might look harmless on the shelf, but once planted, they can spread quickly and choke out native vegetation. Here are just some of the invasive plants you should avoid, along with advice for better alternatives.
English Ivy
It may seem like an east groundcover or wall-climber, but English ivy spreads aggressively, strangling trees, fences, and even buildings in its path. Once it gets going, it's hard to control. Its dense growth blocks sunlight and kills off the plants beneath it. Worse, it offers little support for local wildlife. If you want a hardy, low-growing option, try native groundcovers like wild ginger or barren strawberry, which stay put and support pollinators.
Norway Maple
This tree is rather popular as it grows and provides dense shade, but it crowds out other trees and hogs all the nutrients and water in the soil. Its thick canopy blocks sunlight almost completely, making it hard for anything to grow beneath it. Native maples like the sugar maple are better choices if you're really wanting a maple tree. They're beautiful, longer-living, and much more supportive of local plant and insect life.
Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
Commonly sold as a shade-loving groundcover, periwinkle grows fast and spreads even faster. It quickly takes over forest edges and ditches, forming thick mats that prevent native plants from sprouting. Once it escapes your garden, it's tough to remove. Instead, consider planting ferns or foamflower, which offer a similar look without the ecological damage.
Butterfly Bush
It's a favourite for attracting butterflies, but the butterfly bush is misleading. It provides nectar, sure, but not the leaves that native caterpillars need to grow. Worse, it spreads into wild areas and competes with native shrubs. Choose native alternatives like milkweed or serviceberry, which support the full life cycle of butterflies and other helpful insects.
Japanese Barberry
Garden centres tent to promote Japanese barberry as it's bright, colorful, and deer-resistant, but it also forms dense thickets in forests and along trails. It actually alters the soil, encourages tick populations, and shades out native wildflowers. Better shrubs include ninebark or black chokeberry, both of which offer color, structure, and benefits for wildlife without the negative impact.
Miscanthus (Chinese Silver Grass)
This ornamental grass is loved for its height and movement in the wind, but it self-seeds and tends to spread far from where it's planted. It can take over meadows and roadsides, creating fire hazards in dry seasons. Native grasses like switchgrass or little bluestem give you the same beauty without the aggressive spread, and they feed native insects and birds too.
Callery Pear (Bradford Pear)
This tree is sold for its pretty, white spring blossoms and neat shape, but it's structurally weak and prone to breakage. Worse, it spreads through seed and forms dense colonies that take over open spaces and crowd out native trees as they do so. Consider planting serviceberry, redbud, or dogwood trees instead if you want something similar. They offer flowers, fruit, and long-term benefits for your garden and the environment.
Japanese Knotweed
This plant is a major problem across many regions. It spreads super aggressively through underground roots, and can even damage pavement and building foundations. Once established, it's extremely difficult to remove and often requires professional help. Though it may look like a stylish, bamboo-like shrub, it's one of the worst offenders out there. If you're after a lush, leafy look, consider planting native shrubs like elderberry or red-twig dogwood instead.
Yellow Archangel
Marketed as a fast-growing groundcover with silver-patterned leaves, yellow archangel quickly escapes gardens and takes over woodland floors. It spreads by runners and fragments, forming thick mats that crowd out native wildflowers. It's especially hard to get rid of once it takes hold of an area. For a better option, try native wild geranium or golden groundsel, which fill space without taking over or harming nearby plants.
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
Its bright foliage makes it popular for hanging baskets and borders, but creeping Jenny doesn't stay where it’s planted. It spreads through runners and can creep into lawns, flower beds, and beyond. While not as aggressive in every climate, it’s still risky and hard to control once established. If you want a vibrant, trailing plant, golden groundsel or native sedges are safer choices.
Sweet Autumn Clematis
This fast-growing vine is often praised for its late-season white flowers, but it spreads rapidly and can smother trees, fences, and other plants. It reseeds easily and escapes into wild areas, making it a threat to native landscapes. For a safer climbing plant with similar beauty, consider native virgin's bower (Clematis virginiana), which supports local wildlife and is much less aggressive.
Purple Loosestrife
It looks stunning in bloom, but purple loosestrife invades wetlands and drowns out native plants. It's one of the worst offenders when it comes to ecosystem damage. There are certain cultivars that are labeled as "sterile," but they can still spread through seed, and that's just not worth the risk. For a similar pop of color, look for blazing star or blue flag iris, which are well-behaved and native to many regions.
Garden centres, especially those at large chain stores, aren't always looking out for your yard or your region’s health. Some of the plants they sell may seem harmless or even helpful, but their long-term impact tells a different story. Choosing native or non-invasive species helps protect local ecosystems, supports wildlife, and saves you time and frustration down the line. A little research goes a long way, and your garden, as well as everything living around it, will thank you.