5 Invasive Plant Species Not to Plant in Northern Virginia Yards

At AllGreen Landscape Co. in Chantilly, we help homeowners and businesses come up with stunning landscape designs using native, drought-friendly plants. We know that the world is full of beautiful and interesting trees, shrubs and flowers, but the truth is, there are many plant species that are not well suited to Northern Virginia at all. These invasive species can carry diseases, impact wildlife, use too much water and throw off our Northern Virginia ecosystem. The following 5 are ones you should avoid:

1. White Mulberry

There are two types of mulberry trees you can find throughout Northern Virginia: one is native, the other is not. Avoid the white mulberry tree (non-native). White mulberry trees have taken over a lot of habitat from the native red mulberry trees. White mulberry trees have glossy green leaves, whereas the red mulberry leaves are not glossy. White mulberries transmit a root disease to our native red mulberries. So, if you want large mulberry trees that bear edible fruit, replace white with the red!

2. Autumn Olive

This large shrub can reach 20 feet. The elliptical leaves sport silvery scales on the undersides and fall brings on pink to red fruits with scales. It’s a very aggressive species that robs sunlight from native species. Birds spread the autumn olive seeds like crazy, and the seeds can grow in poor conditions. Some great Northern Virginia native alternatives include black haw, gray dogwood, winterberry or shining sumac, all of which feed birds over the winter.

3. Chinese and Japanese Wisteria

Wisteria’s popularity comes for a reason: those vines heavy with sweet-scented, lilac-colored, grape-cluster-shaped blooms exude romance every spring. It’s very popular climbing up gazebos, trellises, walls and porches. Unfortunately, the wrong species of wisteria can cause problems, as is the case with the Chinese and Japanese varieties. Make sure to plant American wisteria instead. Other native alternatives include Trumpet Honeysuckle (flowering vine) and sweet azalea (sweet scent).

4. Asian Varieties of Viburnum

Japanese and Chinese viburnum species were popularly planted as fragrant, flowering shrubs. Unfortunately, they spread quickly via birds and rob native species of habitat. Specifically, they are a threat to the native highbush cranberry, also a type of viburnum. Instead, try planting native species like American beautyberry, black haw, arrowwood, or possumhaw.

5. Amur Maple

We love our fall maple colors, but if you have any amur maples growing (quite common), you might want to replace them with native species. These small trees create dense shade that can wipe out native plants. Their roots also release a chemical that stops growth in nearby plants. If you need small trees with spectacular fall color, try Northern Virginia natives like mountain maple, pin cherry, native dogwoods or American hornbeam.

If you see any invasive species growing in your yard, contact AllGreen Landscape Co. and we can help you remove those and replant with native species to enhance your yard and the local ecosystem: (703) 992-8787. In fact, check out some of the Northern Virginia native edible plants we discussed in our April and May posts!