Your Yard: Swap Noxious for Conscious Plants
Pennsylvania made headlines recently when The Commonwealth added several popular species to its list of noxious plants, and banned their propagation or sale throughout the state. Controlled Plant & Noxious Weed Lists (pa.gov)
The list includes two ornamentals that have been favorites of homeowners, landscapers, and city governments for years: the Bradford (or Callery) Pear (Pyrus calleryana), and the Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii). Bradford Pears, with their showy white blooms, herald the coming of spring. However, they spread easily, their wood is soft and their branches often break, and their flowers emit a putrid odor. Japanese Barberries are no better. Luckily, many options exist for hardy, native plants that can restore ecological health to our neighborhoods.
Out with the Noxious
While consumers can no longer buy these specific invasive species, other noxious plants still lurk on store shelves. Plants like Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) and Butterfly bushes (Buddleja davidii) can proliferate throughout local ecosystems, but provide little to no sustenance for pollinators and wildlife. (Not one caterpillar eats the leaves of a butterfly bush, yet the bushes often crowd out native species. No caterpillars, no butterflies.)
As homeowners, we can learn about the potential threat of invasive species in our landscapes, and opt for natives instead. Committing to more conscious practices can have an immediate, positive, compounding effect in our environment - we just need to know what to plant.
In with the Conscious
There are many native species that support and sustain a healthy ecological balance. Once you plant an appropriate native species in its natural habitat, it will reward you with a lifetime of beauty, water filtration, and wildlife habitat.
Let’s say you have a Japanese barberry hedgerow in your front yard that was installed years ago, and now you’d like to make an upgrade. Here are some fantastic native options to consider:
Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) works well in sunny, mesic locations with good drainage, and provides early spring blooms for pollinators and birds.
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) loves moist—but not wet—soils in the shade and can even be trained into a tree-like form. Enjoy the early yellow blooms that give way to deep red berries in the summer.
Bush honeysuckle (Diervilla sessilifolia) will give you a boom of pollinators with its fragrant flowers if you plant them in a moist, well-draining spot in the sun.
High bush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) are real, edible blueberries that will feed the birds and your family! Put them in a moist area, and make sure they get plenty of sun. You might want to consider acidifying your soil, too.
Once you chose conscious over noxious plants and start your native takeover, you’ll see an immediate increase in pollinators, wildlife, and water percolation—and you won’t want to stop.
The role of gardens, whether intentional or not, is broader than pure ornamentation. Each plant contributes something to the function of a wider, interwoven system, allowing us to be true land stewards, and it all starts in our own backyards.