Interested in revamping your yard or testing out your green thumb as warmer weather returns?
Beware of invasive plant species you don’t want anywhere near your garden.
“They might look pretty in their yard, but they escape. They become super problematic…they outcompete native plants,” said James White, chair of the Delaware Native Species Commission and member of the Delaware Nature Society. “Of course, every time you get a handle on one plant, a new one pops up.”
Invasive plants generally overpopulate local areas and are harmful to their non-native environments because they don’t have a food-chain like they would in their place of origin. This can lead to native species hurting local ecosystems and contributing to the decline of native species.
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Porcelain berry and other vines
“Right now in Delaware, the largest problem is the porcelain berry,” said White. “That’s enemy number one for me.”
Porcelain berry is a perennial vine that grows quickly and is native to northern China and Japan. It has big leaves like a grapevine and grows overtop shrubs and trees, smothering the plant and eventually killing it due to a lack of sun exposure.
Although the species is a more recent problem compared to other invasive plants, it has a large presence in New Castle County, said White.
Similar to porcelain berry are the Asiatic bittersweet (also known as oriental bittersweet) and Japanese honeysuckle, both vine species that grow up native plants and smother them.
Mile-a-minute weed is an annual that grows from seed every year in the spring. Just like its name sounds, it grows slowly at first before shooting up and rapidly overtaking small trees.
Trees like the Bradford pear
“The worst tree we have nowadays, in my opinion anyways, is the Callery or Bradford Pear,” said White. “It’s a nasty invasive. It’s taking over fields.”
This tree, native to China and Vietnam, is currently in bloom and can be identified by its white flowers.
Although it has been an issue in the state for a period of time, a ban on the sale of this tree along with many other invasive species goes into effect on July 1.
Norway maples are another invasive tree species in Delaware. They grow faster than native maples, create dense shade that prevents other species from surviving and have a shallow root system that makes it difficult for native seedlings to thrive.
Burning bush and other invasive shrubs
According to White, some of the most problematic shrubs in the area include burning bush, Japanese barberry and the multiflora rose.
Burning bush, named for its bright red color in the fall, is a shrub that is native to central and northern China, Japan and Korea. The bush aggressively outcompetes native species and quickly reproduces from its fallen berries.
Japanese barberry similarly has reddish leaves in the fall and is native to Japan and eastern Asia. Although it looks pretty, research has shown that the plant often provides habitat for ticks that carry the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease.
Causing problems since the 1980s, the multiflora rose is a species of rose that quickly grows and spreads due to birds eating and dispersing its seeds.
Native to eastern Asia, China, Japan and Korea, this plant creates dense thickets of growth that exclude most native herbs and shrubs from taking root in the area. The multiflora rose can be detrimental to the nesting of native birds and often grows so thick it restricts the movement of humans and wildlife.
Native species to plant
If you find that some of your top plant choices have been squandered now that you know they are invasive species, don’t worry. You can still have a beautiful garden by opting for some of these native species instead.
“Just about every invasive plant that somebody puts in their garden, there’s a native plant that’s just as good, and better for wildlife,” said White.
Planting native species can also help combat the damage done by invasive plants and gives local ecosystems a chance to grow and thrive, he said.
For trees, the red maple is one of the most common native trees in eastern and central North America and has red leaves in the fall.
Any oak tree species, including the white oak, red oak, swamp white oak and black oak, would also be great for the environment
“I think they’re a really beautiful tree,” said White. “Oak trees are particularly great for biodiversity.”
Other trees native to North America include several species of birch and hickory.
For those of you in need of shrub replacements, try the shad bush. This tiny tree blooms in early spring with white flower clusters and is named after shad fish, which return to their spawning grounds around the same time of the plant’s blooming.
Azaleas are another great option if you want a six- to eight-foot flowering shrub, but make sure you purchase the native kind as there are invasive species of this plant. Azaleas also need moist, acid soil that is well-drained and has plenty of organic matter.
Native viburnums also have beautiful flowers and berries that will attract plenty of birds if you are one to adorn your yard with bird feeders and birdbaths.
Fothergilla is a four-season shrub native to the eastern United States. It blooms in early April with white flowers before those are replaced with green or blue-green quilt-like foliage.
In the fall, it can turn a variety of colors such as yellow or red and makes as a great replacement for burning bush or Japanese barberry, said White.
Oakleaf hydrangeas can grow up to eight feet tall and have white flowers that usually bloom in late spring or summer before turning red or purple in the fall.
If you enjoy visits from wildlife, get one of these shrubs and look out for visits from critters who like to eat this plant, including deer.
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