15 Common Plants You Should Avoid Growing in Your Yard

1. Butterfly Bush (Buddleja Davidii)

You’ve likely encountered butterfly bushes at your local garden centers or nurseries. However, some varieties of butterfly bushes can cause significant environmental issues. "Butterfly bush can be invasive and spread naturally through self-seeding, especially in regions where it doesn’t go dormant during the winter," explains Mary Phillips, Head of Garden for Wildlife™ and Certified Wildlife Habitat® for the National Wildlife Federation. "This can crowd out native plants that are essential for the full life cycle of butterflies. Butterfly bush is not suitable for butterfly caterpillars."

To prevent this, look for new seedless cultivars that won’t spread uncontrollably into the environment, or choose native alternatives like azaleas, oakleaf hydrangeas, button bush, or other native shrubs, Phillips recommends.

2. English Ivy (Hedera Helix)

If you've ever grown English ivy, you know why it's included here. "This vine has the potential to strangle trees it climbs and damage buildings by infiltrating gutters, loosening mortar, or penetrating aluminum siding," Phillips explains. "It can also overrun many native plants on the ground, which are vital to wildlife, particularly spring ephemerals that support early-season bees and other pollinators. Additionally, it carries bacterial leaf scorch, a disease that affects certain native trees and shrubs."

Instead of ivy, choose native groundcover options like wild strawberry (fragaria virginiana), Virginia creeper (parthenocissus quinquefolia), wild stonecrop (sedum ternatum), common blue violet (viola sororia), or creeping phlox (phlox stolonifera), Phillips recommends.

3. Wisteria (Wisteria Sinensis or Wisteria Floribunda)

These stunning vines look beautiful cascading over an arbor or trellis, but they can quickly dominate the area where they're planted. "Wisteria grows rapidly, outcompetes other plants, and can even kill young trees," says Erin Moriarty, designer and team lead from the online design company Tilly. There are native varieties, such as Kentucky wisteria (wisteria macrostachya) or American wisteria (wisteria frutescens), which are easier to control. Alternatively, consider coral honeysuckle (lonicera sempervirens), which is a favorite among hummingbirds.

4. Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera Japonica)

This fast-growing and fragrant plant should certainly make your list of plants to avoid. Japanese honeysuckle has been a garden favorite for years, but it can easily invade wild spaces and outperform native vines, Phillips explains. Instead, try native varieties like coral honeysuckle (lonicera sempervirens).

5. Periwinkle (Vinca)

These charming (and quite popular!) flowers might seem like a perfect choice for a pollinator garden, but they are definitely plants to avoid. "Vinca requires very little to thrive and creates a thick ground cover that smothers everything beneath," Moriarty explains. "It provides no benefit to wildlife and will crowd out plants that local creatures rely on for survival." Instead, consider groundcover options like wild strawberry or creeping phlox, as suggested by Phillips.

6. Burning Bush (Euonymus)

Famous for its brilliant red foliage, this bush makes an eye-catching addition to any landscape. However, it may cause significant harm to the local ecosystem. "The seeds are carried by birds to forests and meadows, where it rapidly forms dense thickets, outcompeting native plants," Moriarty explains. Instead, choose native shrubs suited to your region.

7. Privet Hedges (Ligustrum)

These plants are often chosen for creating a natural privacy barrier in your yard, but their thick growth can quickly become a problem for native plants. "Privet creates dense thickets that block sunlight from native shrubs and perennials, taking over rapidly and depriving local wildlife of essential resources," Moriarty says. Instead, consider native viburnum varieties, which not only provide privacy but also support local wildlife.

8. Heavenly or Sacred Bamboo (Nandina)

Once you begin with this plant, it’s tough to stop. "It spreads via underground roots that are incredibly difficult and expensive to completely remove," Moriarty says. You can replace it with strawberry bush (euonymus americanus), which offers the same striking red hues.

9. Japanese Spiraea (Spiraea Japonica)

"This plant thrives in disturbed areas, such as construction zones—basically, any place where the vegetation has been disturbed or removed," Moriarty explains. "Spiraea grows quickly and can easily overpower native plants in meadows and open woodlands." Instead, you can opt for native spiraea varieties like steeplebush and meadowsweet.

10. Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias Currassavica)

Milkweed is famous for attracting butterflies, but this particular variety has become invasive and self-seeding in warmer U.S. climates. The major issue? Unlike other milkweed species, this one doesn’t die back in winter, allowing a parasite called ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) to accumulate on the plants, says Phillips. Research has shown that monarchs infected with OE suffer from a range of problems. "Studies have shown lower migration success, as well as declines in body mass, lifespan, mating success, and flight ability," Phillips explains. Skip this variety and opt for a more native type instead.

11. Bradford Pear (Pyrus Calleryana)

This commonly found tree, often lining streets, is popular but has structural flaws. Over time, it may weaken and collapse, and it is particularly susceptible to storm damage.

It also doesn't provide as much habitat for insects or birds compared to other trees. If you're looking for a better choice, consider a serviceberry or shadbush tree. These alternatives bloom around the same time and yield edible fruit, which will attract more wildlife to your garden. Some states are even beginning to restrict the sale of these trees.

12. Japanese Barberry (Berberis Thunbergii)

Places where these popular bushes grow often have higher populations of ticks. Their dense, thorny, and bushy nature creates perfect hiding spots for mice, which are a primary carrier of diseases, leading to increased tick exposure for humans. A better alternative would be to plant blueberry bushes instead.

13. Asiatic Bittersweet (Celastrus Orbiculatus)

These bittersweet varieties are prohibited due to their invasive nature, which allows them to overpower other plants and even trees. Although there is a native American bittersweet, it often gets overtaken by this invasive species. For a suitable alternative, consider trumpet honeysuckle, American wisteria, or native clematis species.

14. Linden Viburnum (Viburnum Dilatatum)

Some species of non-native viburnum, like the linden viburnum, have spread into natural areas. These plants outcompete native shrubs and decrease biodiversity because they lack natural controls in the ecosystem. However, there are many native viburnum varieties available, so be sure to ask for those at your local nursery. If these varieties grow in the woods, it's beneficial, as some produce fruit that attracts birds.

15. Eulalia Grass (Miscanthus Sinensis)

A commonly used landscaping grass, this variety is still available at nurseries but is starting to take over natural meadows. Consider using switchgrass or Indiangrass as alternatives, which offer similar aesthetic benefits as miscanthus sinensis.