Since October 2019 the Not Wanted Drummer column has profiled seven 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:
Blue Vervain Verbena hastata
Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis
Fireweed Epilobium angustifolium
Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea
Japanese Barberry alternatives:
Northern Bayberry Myrica pensylvanica
Inkberry Ilex glabra
Winterberry Ilex verticillata
Arrowwood Viburnum dentatum
Mountain Laurel Kalmia latifolia
Multiflora Rose alternatives:
Arrowwood Viburnum dentatum
Inkberry Ilex glabra
Highbush Blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum
Oriental Bittersweet alternatives:
American Bittersweet Celastrus scandens
Trumpet Honeysuckle Lonicera semperivirens
Garlic Mustard alternatives:
Rue Anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
Cutleaf Toothwort Cardamine concatenata
Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
Wild Ginger Asarum Canadense
Japanese Knotweed alternatives:
New England Aster Aster novae-angliae
Joe Pye-weed Eupatorium pupureum
Autumn Olive alternatives:
Red Chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia
Winterberry Ilex verticillata
Silky Dogwood Cornus amomom
For more information on invasive plants, events and the Not Wanted campaign, drop us a note on the Granby Conservation Commission webpage.