Video by Danielle Sherry and Carol Collins. Edited by Kara Demos.
Here at Let’s Argue About Plants, we’re big fans of native plants. Our gardens are filled with them, and for good reason: native plants are essential to the preservation and health of the local ecology. Aside from their benefits to the environment, many native plants are built to thrive in the conditions where we live. Today we’re talking about native alternatives to certain less-desirable plants. These undesirables might be invasive, or spread obnoxiously, or perhaps they are just prone to certain insects and diseases. For each, we’ll give you a native plant that is a far superior option. And don’t be fooled by our Connecticut location—we feature plants suitable for locales outside of the Northeast.
Expert testimony: Ulrich Lorimer is the director of horticulture for the Native Plant Trust in Framingham, Massachusetts.
Danielle’s Plants
Native: Eastern thimbleberry (Rubus odoratus, Zones 3–8)
In place of: Butterbur (Petasites japonicus, Zones 5–9)
Native: Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens, Zones 4–9)In place of: Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans, Zones 4–9)
Native: Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Zones 2–6)
In place of: Rock cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis, Zones 4–7)
Carol’s Plants
‘Amethyst Falls’ American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens ‘Amethyst Falls’, Zones 5–9)
‘Amethyst Falls’ American wisteria on Catharine Cooke and Ian Gribble’s pergola
In place of: Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis, Zones 5–8; pictured) or Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda, Zones 4–9)
Ginger Wine® ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘SMNPOBLR’, Zones 3–7)Ginger Wine® ninebark flowerIn place of: Burning bush (Euonymus alatus, Zones 4–9)
Hi Folks!
Great episode! I love that you're bringing attention to Wisteria frutescens. It's been lovely in my garden for years. I checked the USDA map, and, as I suspected, there are actually native pockets of it up into Illinois and over to Pennsylvania! Also, in my Milton, Ontario garden, I never needed to water it. While it might not be 'desert' drought-tolerant, it's certainly not a thirsty plant.
Comments
Hi, amazing episode,
Can you help me with finding a plant with low light needed?
please please contact me on https://foodtouriiran.blogspot.com
Hi Folks!
Great episode! I love that you're bringing attention to Wisteria frutescens. It's been lovely in my garden for years. I checked the USDA map, and, as I suspected, there are actually native pockets of it up into Illinois and over to Pennsylvania! Also, in my Milton, Ontario garden, I never needed to water it. While it might not be 'desert' drought-tolerant, it's certainly not a thirsty plant.
Keep up the good work!
Sean James
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