Many people love gardening, and even those who don’t like to spend hours outside in the dirt can often appreciate a beautiful garden. However, all your (or someone else’s) hard work can quickly be destroyed if the wrong type of plant is introduced.
Invasive plants take over whole gardens, and even sometimes overtake yards, trees, and houses in the process, choking the life out of all the other plants around and covering your well-cared for garden in its own leaves, vines, and flowers. Worst of all, these plants are usually extremely difficult to remove, and they often look like plants or flowers you might actually want in your garden. Check out some of the worst offenders below.
Chameleon
Although beautiful and a pretty accent to some gardens, it tends to take over and run rampant.
Kudzu
This invasive species is nearly impossible to kill and can grow a foot day. If fact, goats are the best way to get rid of it.
Butterfly Bush
It may be gorgeous, but it grows too fast to cut back and takes over everything in its path.
Chinese Wisteria
Although beautiful, this plant should never be allowed out of a pot. It likes to climb trees and can easily kill them.
Purple Loosestrife
Although these perennials look pretty, it will choke out your other garden plants in no time if given the opportunity.
Leafy Splurge
The use of the word “splurge” should clue you in on how invasive this plant actually is.
Bamboo
Bamboo spread like crazy, and unless its corralled by concrete or the like, it will take over your whole garden in no time.
Trumpet Vine
Although trumpet vines are great for attracted butterflies, these plants will take over your yard, house, and trees. And it’s extremely difficult to remove.
Japanese Stiltgrass
This thick grass with smother your garden plants, and since it grows through rhizomes, if you rip it out and and don’t get every bit, the rest will grow even better than before. Herbicides do the trick though.
Winter Creeper
Not only does this plant block the light from your other garden plants, it takes their water and nutrients too.
English Ivy
This ivy is hard to get rid of and won’t just take over your garden, it will take over your house too.
Mint
Although mint is great to have in a pot, if it is allowed to run free in a garden, it will quickly take over all the relatively shady spots.
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