Alternatives To Common Invasives
Alternatives to Commonly Planted Invasive Plants
Invasive Species |
Non-Invasive Alternatives
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Japanese Barberry Japanese Barberry is an ornamental shrub that that is attractive because of its colors and dark red berries. It also comes in various heights and can be used is as be shaped into hedges. |
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Bush Honeysuckles Bush Honeysuckles have been planted mostly for their ornamental value, including the fragrant flowers and red berries. |
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Burning Bush Burning Bush is used as an ornamental shrub, and is valued for its neat habit and spectacular red to pink fall color. It is shade tolerant. |
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Norway Maple Norway Maple is an ornamental tree. Some cultivars have a maroon leaf color which it keeps throughout the growing season. |
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Buckthorn Buckthorn is a shrub/small tree that is valued for its hardiness and its ability to grow in a variety of soil and light conditions. It has been used in many areas to create hedges. |
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Bishop’s Goutweed Bishop’s Goutweed is used as an ornamental ground cover, especially on steep slopes. If flourishes in moist, shaded areas. |
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Characteristics of Select Alternatives
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Beach plum Multi-branched shrub, 1 – 8 ft tall. Egg shaped, finely toothed leaves. White fruit in umbels along the stem. Fruit purple. Salt Tolerant. Fruit eaten by birds and wildlife. Light: Full Sun |
Black Elderberry A deciduous shrub with branches to 12 ft. Leaves up to 12 inches long. Flowers white in conspicuous clusters appearing from May to July. Fruit berrylike, dark purple when ripe, edible when ripe. Berries relished by many bird species and mammals. Deer eat twigs and leaves. Attracts birds and is a nectar source. Light: Part Shade |
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Black Chokeberry A small, mound-shaped shrub. Glossy, dark green foliage turns crimson-red in fall. White flowers with pink anthers. Persistent, blackish-purple berries. Provides nectar to insects, fruit provides food for birds and mammals. Light: Part Shade, Full Sun |
Blackgum A handsome ornamental and shade tree which has glossy, dark-green summer foliage changing to fluorescent yellow, orange, scarlet and purple in fall. Grows to 30-60 ft. or taller. Berries are small and blue. It is also a honey plant. The juicy fruit is consumed by many birds and mammals. Used by substrate-insectivorous birds, Fruit-birds, Fruit-mammals, Nectar-bees. Attracts birds. Light: Sun, Part Shade, Shade |
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Buttonbush Shrub, 3-10 ft, with flowers in round, ball-like heads. White , tubular flowers. Egg shaped leaves opposite or whorled. Provides food for variety of wildlife. Light: Shade, Part Shade, Full Sun |
Common Winterberry A very “showy” shrub, especially in fall & early winter with its bright red berries. Provides cover, nesting site, nectar for insects and fruit for birds. Attracts birds & butterflies. NOTE: Need both male and female plants to have berries. Light: Sun, Part Shade, Shade |
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Fragrant Sumac A sprawling, small to medium-size shrub (6-12 ft. tall) with aromatic foliage. Has glossy, somewhat blue-green leaves which turn orange, red, purple and yellow in the fall. Yellowish catkin-like flowers precede dark-red berries which persist into March. The berries provide winter food for small animals and birds. Attracts birds & butterflies. Is highly deer resistant. Light: Sun, Part Shade, Shade |
Highbush Blueberry A deciduous shrub with reddish-green spring leaves which turn blue-green in summer and red, yellow, orange and purple in fall. White or pink, bell-shaped flowers in drooping clusters. Blue fruit. Berries are relished by most birds and mammals. Browsers eat foliage. Attracts 30 species of birds. Light: Sun, Part Shade, Shade |
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Northern Bayberry A spreading shrub, 3-12 ft. tall. Glossy, fragrant gray-green, turn tan-colored and persist into winter. Green catkins appear before leaves. Clusters of small, round, hard, white berries remain on the female plant all winter. Berries eaten by winter birds. Attracts birds & butterflies. Light: Part Shade |
Red maple A shade tree, displaying red in different seasons. This is a preferred species for browsing deer and moose. Attracts Birds and is larval host and/or nectar source for Rosy Maple Moth. Light: Sun, Part Shade |
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Serviceberry Shrub or small tree with early white spring flowers in loose racemes at the end of branches. In the rose family. Light: Sun, Part Shade |
Shining Sumac A large, deciduous ornamental shrub or small tree, 20-35 ft. tall. Glossy, dark-green leaves turn reddish-purple in the fall. Yellowish-green flowers are succeeded by drooping fruit clusters which turn dull red and persist through winter. Often forms thickets. Winter food for many upland game birds, songbirds, and large and small mammals. Wildlife eat the fruit, and deer also browse the twigs. Light: Sun |
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Smooth Sumac An ornamental, 10-20 ft. shrub with short, crooked, picturesque branches. Deciduous leaves become extremely colorful in early fall. On female plants, yellow-green flowers are followed by bright-red, hairy berries which persist throughout winter. Berries consumed by birds of many kinds and small mammals, mainly in winter. Deer browse the twigs and fruit throughout the year. Attracts birds & butterflies. Light: Sun, Part Shade, Shade |
Spicebush A single- or few-stemmed, deciduous shrub, 6-12 ft. tall. Dense clusters of tiny, pale yellow flowers which are followed by glossy red fruit. Both fruit and foliage are aromatic. Leaves turn a colorful golden-yellow in fall. Attracts Birds & Butterflies. Larval host for Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail. Light: Sun, Part Shade, Shade |
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Sugar maple Large (60-75 ft.) shade tree with rounded, dense crown and striking, brilliant red, yellow and orange fall foliage. Its straight, central trunk; wide-spreading branches; and pointed crown are all attractive landscape characteristics. Attracts birds. It is susceptible to salt. (Dirt) Light: Sun, Part Shade, Shade |
Sweet Pepperbush 1 – 4 foot shrub with sweet-scented white flowers in long racemes. Egg shaped leaves, sharply toothed above the middle. Attracts pollinators. Light: Part Shade, Full Shade |
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Trumpet honeysuckle High-climbing, twining vine, 3-20 ft. long, with smooth, glossy, semi-evergreen leaves and 2-4 flowered clusters of red, tubular blooms followed by bright-red berries. Not too aggressive. Good climber or ground cover. Flowers attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Fruits attract quail, Purple Finch, Goldfinch, Hermit Thrush, American Robin. Nectar source. Larval host for Spring Azure, Snowberry Clearwing Moth. Light: Sun, Part Shade |
Witchhazel Shrub, 5-15 ft., with yellow flowers that bloom in late fall. Leaves are long (2-5”) and egg shaped with wavy edges. Provides food for birds and small mammals. Light: Part Shade, Shade |
For more information about invasives and alternatives, go to www.nature.org/vermont/weeds or www.beplantwise.org, or call (802) 229-4425.
For a printable PDF of these charts, click here.
