Since October 2019 the NOT WANTED Drummer column has profiled 7 damaging invasive plants in Granby, describing how to identify and control them over time. Now, it’s the peak of the planting season, and this month’s column lists WANTED plants: good alternatives to invasives.
Alternatives usually grow in similar habitats as the invasives they replace. While they are often native species that grow well without a lot of human support once established, their growth is not unchecked like that of invasives: they grow in balance with other plants and animals. Most can be easily propagated by seed, division, or cuttings and are readily available from nurseries and friendly neighbor gardeners.
Purple Loosestrife alternatives:
Alternatives usually grow in similar habitats as the invasives they replace. While they are often native species that grow well without a lot of human support once established, their growth is not unchecked like that of invasives: they grow in balance with other plants and animals. Most can be easily propagated by seed, division, or cuttings and are readily available from nurseries and friendly neighbor gardeners.
Purple Loosestrife alternatives:
- Blue Vervain – Verbena hastata
- Cardinal Flower – Lobelia cardinalis
- Fireweed – Epilobium angustifolium
- Purple Coneflower – Echinacea purpurea
- Northern Bayberry – Myrica pensylvanica
- Inkberry – Ilex glabra
- Winterberry – Ilex verticillata
- Arrowwood – Viburnum dentatum
- Mountain Laurel – Kalmia latifolia
- Arrowwood - Viburnum dentatum
- Inkberry – Ilex glabra
- Highbush Blueberry – Vaccinium corymbosum
- American Bittersweet – Celastrus scandens
- Trumpet Honeysuckle – Lonicera semperivirens
- Rue Anemone - Thalictrum thalictroides
- Cutleaf Toothwort - Cardamine concatenata
- Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis
- Wild Ginger - Asarum Canadense
- New England Aster – Aster novae-angliae
- Joe Pye-weed – Eupatorium pupureum
- Red Chokeberry - Aronia arbutifolia
- Winterberry - Ilex verticillata
- Silky Dogwood - Cornus amomom
RESOURCES
A key resource for this list: CT Forest & Park Association’s “Invasive Plants Common in CT.”
A key resource for this list: CT Forest & Park Association’s “Invasive Plants Common in CT.”
CIPWG: 5-page list of CT-native alternative perennial plants, scientific and common names
pdf-cipwg-native-alternative-perennials-list-9-21-2016.pdf | |
File Size: | 338 kb |
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NOT WANTED: Granby's Conservation Commission's campaign to educate about and take action on invasive plants