Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Jetbead (Rhodotypos scandens)
Karen Jetbead is a mounding deciduous shrub growing 3-6’ tall and is native to Japan and central China. It was introduced into the US in 1866 as an ornamental and has…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: English Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
English holly is a broadleaf evergreen tree or shrub growing 15-20’ tall. It has attractive glossy dark green leaves with sharp spines on the edges and red to yellow berries…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Beach Naupaka (Scaevola sericea var. taccada)
Also known as beach cabbage and sea lettuce, beach naupaka is a dense, spreading evergreen shrub growing 3-10’ tall. The medium green leaves are elliptical, waxy, fleshy, smooth and 1.5…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Bachelor ‘s Button (Centaurea cyanus )
Also known as bluebottle, bluet, bluecap, and cornflower, this cool weather annual is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, sunflower, and lettuce. It is native…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: European Alder (Alunus glutinosa)
European alder , also called black alder, is a small to medium sized deciduous tree native to Europe, northern Africa and western Asia where it grows in wet areas along…
Invasive Plants and Their native Alternatives: Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
Tree of heaven is a deciduous tree native to northern China, Taiwan, northern Korea, and Tibet. It was introduced to the US in 1784 as an ornamental and naturalized wherever…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Umbrella Tree (Schefflera actinophylla)
Also called octopus tree, Schefflera is an evergreen tree native to the rainforests in Australia, New Guinea, and Java where it grows up to 50’ tall. It was introduced into…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Sawtooth Oak (Quercus acutissima)
Sawtooth oak is a medium sized deciduous tree growing up to 98” tall. It is native to northeastern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Indochina, China, Tibet, Korea, and Japan and was introduced…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda)
Japanese wisteria is a deciduous flowering vine native to Japan but was introduced into the US in the 1830s and has become invasive from new Jersey to Indiana, south to…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)
Scotch broom is a deciduous to evergreen, nitrogen-fixing shrub growing 4-8’ tall. It is native to dry, sandy soils in central and western Europe but was introduced into North America…