14 Popular Plants That Are Destroying Your Yard’s Ecosystem

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For many, there’s nothing more enjoyable and relaxing than gardening. But you may be surprised to find out that the plants you carefully picked up from a nursery or inherited from previous homeowners could be harmful to beneficial insects, take over other plants, or deplete the soil.

While these plants might look beautiful or even practical on first blush, their reach extends well beyond what meets the eye, impacting pollinators and soil health. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest offenders that are quietly destroying your yard and how to help you identify and manage these problem plants.

English Ivy

a close up of a plant — Photo Credit: Pexels

While this popular ground cover may look charming as it carpets the ground or climbs up trees, it’s not good news for your yard’s health. English ivy quickly grows to form dense mats that smother and block out other plants and leave them in the dark. It can even damage trees by weighing down branches and preventing the canopy from getting the nutrients it needs. This vine can even kill and weaken mature trees over time.

Japanese Honeysuckle

Photo Credit: SB_Johnny/Wikimedia Commons

Another attractive but invasive vine is Japanese honeysuckle. Although its fragrant flowers are tempting to keep around, this plant can twine around shrubs and trees and outcompete other vegetation until it smothers them. Once it takes root, it is one of the most difficult plants to remove because it spreads easily and becomes firmly established in a short time.

Bamboo

If you want privacy or to make natural screens, bamboo is fast growing which sounds like a good thing. But it’s probably one of the most notorious spreaders, spreading by underground runners that can travel across an entire yard before sprouting. If you plant bamboo, many homeowners come to regret it, as it can invade into neighboring yards and even damage foundations. Bamboo is both resilient and stubborn, and removing it takes serious persistence.

Purple Loosestrife

Purple loosestrife (with its tall, pinkish purple flowers) may make a beautiful garden plant, but this plant is a serious problem for wetland ecosystems. This plant grows so aggressively, it is able to displace native plant species, reducing biodiversity on which local wildlife depends. It’s particularly invasive in moist soil areas, and can clog waterways, which can disrupt the habitat of native fish, birds and insects.

Yellow Star Thistle

Photo Credit: Harry Rose/ Wikimedia Commons

Many people mistake yellow star thistle for a wildflower, but it’s a fierce invader in many gardens. The spiky, thistle like plant spreads quickly and is very difficult to remove. It’s a fierce competitor for water, starving other plants of water and drying them out. It’s unfriendly to people and pets, even toxic to some animals like horses, because of its spiny growth.

Mimosa Tree

The mimosa tree has delicate, fern like leaves and pink, fluffy flowers, but don’t be fooled. This invasive ornamental tree is found in disturbed soils, and spreads rapidly by its prolific seed production. Native trees are quickly outgrown by mimosa trees, which shade out understory plants and weaken your yard’s biodiversity. And worse yet, once it’s established, it’s hard to get rid of.

Kudzu

Known as the vine that ate the South, kudzu is well known for being able to smother anything that crosses its path. At first brought to the U.S. to combat erosion, kudzu has overrun landscapes, particularly in warmer regions. It grows so quickly and so thickly that the other plants can’t get any sunlight. If you have it nearby, it’s hard to control and you have to cut it regularly to keep it in check.

Chinese Privet

Photo Credit: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz/Wikimedia Commons

Chinese privet is a dense shrub that is often used in hedges, but is one of the most invasive plants in North America. It is a thickening shrub, choking out native shrubs and trees in wooded areas. The privet berries attract birds that spread the seeds far and wide, making this plant especially hard to keep contained. If left unmanaged, Chinese privet can turn your garden into a jungle you can’t penetrate.

Wisteria

Wisteria has beautiful lavender blooms, but it’s an aggressive plant that can be a real headache if you don’t keep it under control. This is a climbing vine which climbs up trees, fences or even buildings. It’s a tough customer to eradicate because it spreads through suckers and seeds, and its heavy vines can do structural damage. Wisteria may sound enchanting, but it will be happy to take over your yard if you let it.

Autumn Olive

Photo Credit: Agnieszka Kwiecien, Nova/Wikimedia Commons

Once introduced as a solution to soil erosion, autumn olive has quickly become known as a harmful invader. It can change soil chemistry so that it is less suitable for native plants. Its berries are eaten by birds, which serve to spread its seeds far and near. This shrub will form dense thickets, crowding out other plants and reducing your yard’s biodiversity.

Tree of Heaven

Photo Credit: Luis Fernandez Garcia/Wikimedia Commons

Tree of heaven is a nightmare for your yard, don’t let the name fool you. Invasive, known for its fast growth and resilience, it tolerates harsh conditions, and typically outcompetes other plants. The rhizomatic root system allows it to spread aggressively and when it does, it is extremely difficult to remove. It also releases chemicals into the soil that suppress plants nearby.

Garlic Mustard

Photo Credit: Robert Flogaus-Faust/ Wikimedia Commons

While garlic mustard might look like a harmless leafy green, it is one of the most damaging invasive plants in many gardens. It is especially damaging to woodland ecosystems, spreads quickly, outcompetes native wildflowers. On top of that, garlic mustard changes the soil chemistry so that even when it’s pulled up, other plants have a hard time coming back.

Norway Maple

Photo Credit: Martin Bobka/ Wikimedia Commons

This maple tree, common in many urban areas, has a dark side: it grows thickly and makes deep shade that other plants cannot grow under. Fast growing and adaptable, Norway maples can however weaken local plant diversity and crowd out native tree species. Its shallow root system also sucks up a lot of nutrients, which other plants suffer from.

Russian Olive

Russian olive may be exotic and tempting with its silvery leaves, but it’s a serious invader. This tree is a fast spreader forming dense stands that displace native vegetation. It also breaks down the nitrogen in the soil and throws it off the natural nutrient cycle and hurts other plants. The result? The thicket is dense and low diversity, and if left unchecked, can overrun your yard.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.