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Are There Any Invasive Plants to Avoid in Your SoCal Garden?
Written by Kelsey W.
The diversity of the plant world is nothing short of incredible, and there’s nothing quite like seeing a new and fascinating plant species with an amazing color, shape, or pattern. However, not every plant in the world is a friendly plant, especially when we’re talking about taking a plant from one geographic location and transporting it to another.
What is an Invasive Species?
Sometimes, a plant from another part of the planet may become what scientists call an invasive species, which means it might grow too aggressively or push out native species when planted elsewhere. A prime example is the kudzu vine that engulfs millions of acres throughout the state of Florida.
Although lush and green, this invasive species can cover entire buildings and road signs, block light from reaching native plants, and overwhelm entire fields when left unattended. The plant was introduced innocently in the late 1800s as an ornamental plant but eventually became incredibly invasive. The State of Florida actually considers the plant a “noxious weed” today.
Invasive Species aren’t “Bad” Plants
It’s worth remembering that the idea of an invasive plant doesn’t have anything to do with its appearance. A plant could look absolutely beautiful but have a very harmful impact on a particular aspect of the environment. Plants are often beautiful because they must attract pollinators, and even the most invasive species may look beautiful in your garden.
Therefore, when investigating invasive species, it’s important to focus mostly on their growing habits and what they might do to the environment rather than on their appearance. Invasive plants aren’t “bad” either. It’s just that some plants might engage in some bad habits when they’re transported to new geographical locations.
So, with those ideas in mind, let’s explore some of the invasive plants you might encounter in Southern California, why those plants are considered invasive, and some beautiful native alternatives that you can choose instead.
Don’t Bring Butterflies with a Butterfly Bush
A common sight in many Southern California lawns is the lovely butterfly bush, which does exactly what its name would lead you to believe: it encourages butterflies to visit your home. However, these plants, known scientifically as Buddleia davidii, are much more at home in their native China than they are in SoCal, where they are considered invasive.
The plant is actually considered an invasive species in several American states, especially throughout the West because of its ability to live in just about any soil type and spread very quickly. The main reason it’s considered invasive is because of how quickly it can spread and overtake native plants in vital areas around woodlands and streems.
Bring a California Lilac Home to Replace Your Butterfly Bush
Don’t worry, the invasive butterfly bush isn’t the only way to welcome butterflies to your home. An ideal replacement plant is the California lilac, which has loads of positive features, not the least of which is that it’s a native plant in Southern California.
Just like a butterfly bush, the California lilac produces beautiful purple flowers, welcomes butterflies, and tolerates the common drought conditions in the state very well. They don’t have the same potential to spread as the butterfly bush, and they’re very easy to grow. If you’re in a colder pocket of SoCal, try the related “Victoria” variant, which is capable of living in colder temperatures.
Be Very Careful with English Ivy
English Ivy is a gorgeous plant that can make your SoCal home look like it was plucked right out of an English garden, but at what cost? It’s vital to remain incredibly careful with this invasive vine because it has a habit of spreading incredibly fast and can overwhelm an area when it gets outside of your yard.
One of the issues with English ivy is that it’s incredibly hardy, so once it digs its heels in (or its roots!), it’s quite difficult to truly remove. Yes, it’s beautiful, but it’s a strong plant that can overwhelm an area, too. English Ivy might look beautiful growing along a wall, but it’s best to keep this plant inside as a small potted addition to your home if you must have some English ivy.
Choose the Alumroot Instead of English Ivy if You’re Near the Coast
If you have a place in your yard where English ivy would thrive, you can substitute alumroot, which is a native perennial that isn’t too demanding with its watering needs and grows well in many different types of soil environments.
The plant probably isn’t going to thrive in the high desert, but if you’re reasonably near the coast and want year-round greenery for your ivy-like ground covering, alumroot is an excellent substitute. The plant is easy to grow in the right conditions and won’t spread and take over the area like English ivy. It’s quite easy to keep it growing exactly how and where you want it to grow with regular shaping and pruning.
Get Beautifully Creative with California Fuchsia
One of the reasons you may consider English ivy is for its ability to control erosion, and it’s tough to find a plant that’s so beautifully suited for that purpose. A wonderful alternative that’s also native to California and gorgeous when it blooms is California fuchsia.
This plant is particularly hardy and thrives in dry conditions, which is another bonus for Southern California growing, especially when we have a dry year and saving water becomes extra important. Your fuchsia will protect your ground from erosion, grow beautiful tubular flowers for at least half the year, and even welcome pollinators like hummingbirds.
It’s Time to Ice Those Ice Plants
You don’t need to rush to rip out all the ice plants in your yard, but it’s a good idea to avoid planting a new bed of ice plants due to their status as an invasive plant. While they’re a beautiful, hardy, and easily spreading ground cover, it is their ability to grow almost anywhere that makes them a potential hazard.
As a succulent, ice plants would seem completely at home in Southern California, but they can take over an area and push out other species, which can lead to the loss of biodiversity in an area. Biodiversity is an essential component of a healthy environment, and invasive, fast-spreading plants can often wreak havoc with diversity.
If you currently have ice plants in your yard (they are indeed very common throughout Southern California), do your best to keep an eye on them and prevent them from spreading into a neighbor’s yard. While they’re an excellent way to prevent erosion, some believe that they actually perform that job a little too well.
Choose Native Sedum for Your SoCal Ground Cover
One option for avoiding ice plant problems is using hardy ice plant instead, which is related to the invasive ice plant. Both ice plants and hardy ice plants are from South Africa, so they’re not native. However, if you’re absolutely keen on getting the exact look of an ice plant, it’s probably the best substitute that won’t come with great environmental risk.
A better alternative as far as native and local plants go for your ground cover is sedum, of which some species are native to Southern California. One of the best parts about sedum is that you can just about ignore it once it gets established, and it will grow without any help. The best part is that it’s not invasive, so it will provide you with a lovely ground cover without all the downsides of ice plant.
Other Invasive Plants and Their Replacements
Let’s go over a few other common invasive plants and some ideas for replacements. Remember, if you have any of these invasive plants in your garden already, always make sure to dig deep when you remove them because most invasive plants have a way of hanging around and regrowing, even when you try your hardest to remove them.
- Invasive Plant: Periwinkle (Vinca)
- Choose This Instead: Douglas Iris
If you love purple flowers, stay away from periwinkle and choose the Douglas Iris instead, which is very easy to grow and produces stunning violet flowers throughout the spring and into the early summer.
- Invasive Plant: Fountain Grass
- Choose This Instead: Fescue Grass
There are multiple fescue grasses native to California, and they’re a great choice for xeriscaping due to their drought-tolerant nature. Just make sure you don’t plant it in an area with heavy foot traffic.
- Invasive Plant: Spanish Broom
- Choose This Instead: California Flannelbush
If you want a gorgeous shrub in your yard, look no further than the California flannelbush, which grows big yellow flowers. This hardy shrub performs beautifully in full sun and is incredibly drought tolerant.
Find Beautiful Native SoCal Plants at Your Local Green Thumb Nursery
Southern California is home to so many beautiful plants, and everyone at Green Thumb Nursery is ready to help you find the perfect flowers and greenery to fill your home, yard, or balcony. Let’s work together to choose healthy, native plants that will love the Southern California sunshine and thrive in your home.
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