PlantWise: Native Alternatives for Invasive Plants

PlantWise is a partnership between the National Park Service, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, The Garden Club of America and The National Invasive Species Council to prevent harmful invasive plants from invading natural areas. Special thanks to our PlantWise Associate, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, for providing this list from the publication Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants by C. Colston Burrell and the Houston Advanced Research Center for their financial support of this project.

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Results 1 through 30 of 148

Invasive Species Native Alternatives
Acacia auriculiformis (earleaf acacia)
Habit: Tree, Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: ACAU

Annona glabra (pond apple)
Bucida buceras (gregorywood)
Quercus virginiana (live oak)

Acer ginnala (Amur maple)
Habit: Tree, Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: ACGI

Acer pensylvanicum (striped maple)
Acer spicatum (mountain maple)
Aesculus pavia (red buckeye)
Carpinus caroliniana (American hornbeam)
Cladrastis kentukea (Kentucky yellowwood)
Cornus alternifolia (alternateleaf dogwood)
Cotinus obovatus (American smoketree)
Hamamelis vernalis (Ozark witchhazel)
Hamamelis virginiana (American witchhazel)
Oxydendrum arboreum (sourwood)
Prunus virginiana (chokecherry)
Stewartia malacodendron (silky camellia)
Stewartia ovata (mountain camellia)

Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Habit: Tree
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: ACPL

Acer macrophyllum (bigleaf maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Celtis laevigata (sugarberry)
Gymnocladus dioicus (Kentucky coffeetree)
Halesia tetraptera (mountain silverbell)
Liquidambar styraciflua (sweetgum)
Nyssa sylvatica (blackgum)
Quercus bicolor (swamp white oak)

Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore maple)
Habit: Tree
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: ACPS

Acer macrophyllum (bigleaf maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Celtis laevigata (sugarberry)
Gymnocladus dioicus (Kentucky coffeetree)
Halesia tetraptera (mountain silverbell)
Liquidambar styraciflua (sweetgum)
Nyssa sylvatica (blackgum)
Quercus bicolor (swamp white oak)

Aegopodium podagraria (bishop's goutweed)
Habit: Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: AEPO

Achlys triphylla (sweet after death)
Anemone canadensis (Canadian anemone)
Aralia nudicaulis (wild sarsaparilla)
Asarum canadense (Canadian wildginger)
Asarum caudatum (British Columbia wildginger)
Iris cristata (dwarf crested iris)
Mahonia repens (creeping barberry)
Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox)

Agropyron cristatum (crested wheatgrass)
Habit: Graminoid
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: AGCR

Koeleria macrantha (prairie Junegrass)
Pascopyrum smithii (western wheatgrass)
Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem)

Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven)
Habit: Tree
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: AIAL

Acer macrophyllum (bigleaf maple)
Amelanchier laevis (Allegheny serviceberry)
Carya cordiformis (bitternut hickory)
Carya illinoinensis (pecan)
Cercis canadensis (eastern redbud)
Cladrastis kentukea (Kentucky yellowwood)
Diospyros virginiana (common persimmon)
Gleditsia triacanthos (honeylocust)
Gymnocladus dioicus (Kentucky coffeetree)
Piscidia piscipula (Florida fishpoison tree)
Quercus laceyi (Lacey oak)
Quercus muehlenbergii (chinkapin oak)
Rhus glabra (smooth sumac)
Rhus lanceolata (prairie sumac)
Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac)
Sorbus sitchensis (western mountain ash)

Akebia quinata (chocolate vine)
Habit: Vine
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: AKQU

Campsis radicans (trumpet creeper)
Clematis texensis (scarlet leather flower)
Clematis viorna (vasevine)
Decumaria barbara (woodvamp)
Lonicera sempervirens (trumpet honeysuckle)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)

Alnus glutinosa (European alder)
Habit: Tree
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: ALGL2

Alnus incana ssp. rugosa (speckled alder)
Alnus serrulata (hazel alder)
Amelanchier laevis (Allegheny serviceberry)
Betula lenta (sweet birch)
Betula nigra (river birch)
Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen)

Albizia julibrissin (silktree)
Habit: Tree, Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: ALJU

Amelanchier arborea (common serviceberry)
Betula nigra (river birch)
Calliandra conferta (Rio Grande stickpea)
Calliandra eriophylla (fairyduster)
Cercis canadensis (eastern redbud)
Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)
Cladrastis kentukea (Kentucky yellowwood)
Cornus florida (flowering dogwood)
Gleditsia triacanthos (honeylocust)
Oxydendrum arboreum (sourwood)
Prosopis glandulosa (honey mesquite)
Stewartia malacodendron (silky camellia)

Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Habit: Forb/herb
Duration: Annual, Biennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: ALPE4

Asarum canadense (Canadian wildginger)
Athyrium filix-femina (common ladyfern)
Dryopteris intermedia (intermediate woodfern)
Dryopteris marginalis (marginal woodfern)
Phlox stolonifera (creeping phlox)
Thelypteris noveboracensis (New York fern)
Tiarella cordifolia (heartleaf foamflower)

Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (Amur peppervine)
Habit: Vine
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: AMBR7

Ampelopsis arborea (peppervine)
Aristolochia tomentosa (woolly dutchman's pipe)
Clematis pitcheri (bluebill)
Cocculus carolinus (Carolina coralbead)
Gelsemium sempervirens (evening trumpetflower)
Lonicera sempervirens (trumpet honeysuckle)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)

Arundo donax (giant reed)
Habit: Subshrub, Shrub, Graminoid
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: ARDO4

Arundinaria gigantea (giant cane)
Dasylirion wheeleri (common sotol)
Nolina bigelovii (Bigelow's nolina)
Saccharum giganteum (sugarcane plumegrass)
Yucca thompsoniana (Thompson's yucca)

Ardisia elliptica (shoebutton)
Habit: Tree, Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: AREL4

Ardisia escallonoides (island marlberry)
Casasia clusiifolia (sevenyear apple)
Lyonia fruticosa (coastal plain staggerbush)
Lyonia lucida (fetterbush lyonia)
Magnolia virginiana (sweetbay)
Morella cerifera (wax myrtle)
Osmanthus americanus (devilwood)
Persea borbonia (redbay)
Persea humilis (silk bay)
Persea palustris (swamp bay)

Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Habit: Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: BETH

Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey tea)
Clethra alnifolia (coastal sweetpepperbush)
Croton alabamensis (Alabama croton)
Diervilla lonicera (northern bush honeysuckle)
Diervilla sessilifolia (southern bush honeysuckle)
Fothergilla gardenii (dwarf witchalder)
Fothergilla major (mountain witchalder)
Ilex verticillata (common winterberry)
Itea virginica (Virginia sweetspire)
Morella pensylvanica (northern bayberry)
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus (coralberry)

Bischofia javanica (Javanese bishopwood)
Habit: Tree
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: BIJA

Fraxinus velutina (velvet ash)
Ptelea trifoliata (common hoptree)
Simarouba glauca (paradisetree)
Zanthoxylum clava-herculis (Hercules' club)
Zanthoxylum fagara (lime pricklyash)

Bromus inermis (smooth brome)
Habit: Graminoid
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Native and Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: BRIN2

Andropogon ternarius (splitbeard bluestem)
Calamagrostis canadensis (bluejoint)
Calamovilfa longifolia (prairie sandreed)
Panicum virgatum (switchgrass)
Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem)
Tridens flavus (purpletop tridens)

Broussonetia papyrifera (paper mulberry)
Habit: Tree
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: BRPA4

Catalpa bignonioides (southern catalpa)
Catalpa speciosa (northern catalpa)
Cercis canadensis (eastern redbud)
Hydrangea quercifolia (oakleaf hydrangea)
Morus rubra (red mulberry)

Buddleja davidii (orange eye butterflybush)
Habit: Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: BUDA2

Aesculus parviflora (bottlebrush buckeye)
Amorpha canescens (leadplant)
Ceanothus griseus (Carmel ceanothus)
Cephalanthus occidentalis (common buttonbush)
Ceanothus purpureus (hollyleaf ceanothus)
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus (blueblossom)
Ceanothus tomentosus (woolyleaf ceanothus)
Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)
Clethra alnifolia (coastal sweetpepperbush)
Cyrilla racemiflora (swamp titi)
Ericameria nauseosa (rubber rabbitbrush)
Philadelphus lewisii (Lewis' mock orange)
Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis (common elderberry)

Caragana arborescens (Siberian peashrub)
Habit: Tree, Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: CAAR18

Ericameria nauseosa (rubber rabbitbrush)
Forestiera pubescens var. pubescens (stretchberry)
Jamesia americana (fivepetal cliffbush)
Leucophyllum frutescens (Texas barometer bush)
Parkinsonia microphylla (yellow paloverde)
Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa (honey mesquite)
Purshia glandulosa (desert bitterbrush)
Purshia tridentata (antelope bitterbrush)
Ribes aureum (golden currant)

Carpobrotus edulis (hottentot fig)
Habit: Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: CAED3

Baccharis pilularis (coyotebrush)
Epilobium canum ssp. angustifolium (hummingbird trumpet)
Fragaria chiloensis (beach strawberry)
Glandularia bipinnatifida (Dakota mock vervain)
Glandularia canadensis (rose mock vervain)
Verbena neomexicana (hillside vervain)

Casuarina equisetifolia (beach sheoak)
Habit: Tree
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: CAEQ

Coccoloba diversifolia (tietongue)
Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar)
Pinus clausa (sand pine)
Sabal palmetto (cabbage palmetto)
Taxodium distichum (bald cypress)

Centaurea cyanus (garden cornflower)
Habit: Forb/herb
Duration: Annual
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: CECY2

Campanula rotundifolia (bluebell bellflower)
Erigeron compositus (cutleaf daisy)
Erigeron peregrinus (subalpine fleabane)
Erigeron speciosus (aspen fleabane)
Linum lewisii (Lewis flax)
Polemonium pulcherrimum (Jacob's-ladder)

Celastrus orbiculatus (Oriental bittersweet)
Habit: Vine
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: CEOR7

Celastrus scandens (American bittersweet)
Cocculus carolinus (Carolina coralbead)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)

Cichorium intybus (chicory)
Habit: Forb/herb
Duration: Biennial, Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: CIIN

Campanula rotundifolia (bluebell bellflower)
Linum lewisii (Lewis flax)
Polemonium pulcherrimum (Jacob's-ladder)
Symphyotrichum cordifolium (common blue wood aster)
Symphyotrichum grandiflorum (largeflower aster)
Symphyotrichum laeve (smooth blue aster)

Cotoneaster apiculatus (cranberry cotoneaster)
Habit: Subshrub, Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: COAP3

Arctostaphylos densiflora (Vine Hill manzanita)
Arctostaphylos nevadensis (pinemat manzanita)
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick)
Heteromeles arbutifolia (toyon)
Myrica gale (sweetgale)
Rhamnus crocea (redberry buckthorn)
Symphoricarpos albus (common snowberry)
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus (coralberry)

Colocasia esculenta (coco yam)
Habit: Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: COES

Canna glauca (maraca amarilla)
Pontederia cordata (pickerelweed)
Sagittaria platyphylla (delta arrowhead)

Cotoneaster franchetii (orange cotoneaster)
Habit: Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: COFR3

Arctostaphylos densiflora (Vine Hill manzanita)
Arctostaphylos nevadensis (pinemat manzanita)
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick)
Heteromeles arbutifolia (toyon)
Myrica gale (sweetgale)
Rhamnus crocea (redberry buckthorn)
Symphoricarpos albus (common snowberry)
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus (coralberry)

Cortaderia jubata (purple pampas grass)
Habit: Graminoid
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: COJU2

Carex spissa (San Diego sedge)
Juncus acutus ssp. leopoldii (Leopold's rush)
Leymus condensatus (giant wildrye)
Muhlenbergia lindheimeri (Lindheimer's muhly)
Nolina bigelovii (Bigelow's nolina)
Saccharum alopecuroides (silver plumegrass)
Saccharum brevibarbe var. contortum (sortbeard plumegrass)
Saccharum giganteum (sugarcane plumegrass)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass)

Cotoneaster lacteus (milkflower cotoneaster)
Habit: Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Native Status: Introduced to U.S.
USDA Symbol: COLA18

Arctostaphylos densiflora (Vine Hill manzanita)
Arctostaphylos nevadensis (pinemat manzanita)
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick)
Heteromeles arbutifolia (toyon)
Myrica gale (sweetgale)
Rhamnus crocea (redberry buckthorn)
Symphoricarpos albus (common snowberry)
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus (coralberry)

 
Results 1 through 30 of 148