Are There Some Plants You Should Avoid? Yes!!!

Some plants just don’t know how to behave. They thrive and spread aggressively outside of their native range creating $120 billion in economic impacts nationwide. What may be invasive in one area is not necessarily invasive for another.  Take, for example, butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii). It behaves here in southern California but is very invasive in the cool humid climate of Washington. Here are some examples of invasive species in our region. Please don’t plant these pests. They reseed and/or spread too easily.

Giant reed grass - Arundo donax

Pampas grass - Cortaderia selloana

Spanish broom - cytisus scoparius or Genista monspessulana

Mexican feather grass - Stipa tenuissima or Nassella tenuissima

Large periwinkle - Vinca major

Green fountain grass - Pennisetum setaceum