Natural Home and Garden

Plants to Avoid

Because some non-native garden plants flourish in Lincoln County, it is good to be aware which are spreading into native vegetation or have the potential to do so, and refrain from planting them. If they are already a problem, it's a good idea to remove them from your yard (with natural means of course) when you encounter them.

We realize that opinions and gardening conditions vary. An easy-to-grow plant to one gardener can be considered invasive by another. The list below was made by one of us who gardens near the coast. If there are plants invading the native vegetation in your area and we haven't listed them here, please let us know. Conversely, let us know if a plant we listed is well-behaved in your area.

For a complete list of Oregon plants designated as quarantined noxious weeds, go to
http://www.oda.state.or.us/Plant/Weed_control/
NoxWeedQuar.html

Here is our list of some plants to avoid:

Annuals, Biennials, Perennials, and Vines:

English ivy (Hedera helix). Can envelop and eventually kill trees. Even some small-leaved ivies have spread beyond yards and gardens.
Japanese knotweed, giant knotweed, aka false bamboo (Polygonum species)
Himalayan blackberry (Rubus discolor)
Hedge bindweed, aka morning glory (Convolvulus sepium)
Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
Creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens)
Bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)

Trees and Shrubs:
Scotch broom
Holly (Ilex aquifolium and others). Seeds are spread by birds that consume holly berries.
English laurel, aka cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

There may be others that you have seen naturalizing in your particular area. Please let us know what they are.

Holly and English laurel are easily cut down, although they may resprout. Perennials and shrubs such as blackberry and knotweed are more difficult. If you cut such plants to the ground repeatedly, eventually they will weaken and die. Blackberries will die if mowed or cut for three years. In the case of knotweed and morning glory, digging out roots will help. Be careful to get as much of the root as you can and remove it from the garden, as the plant can regrow from sections of root left in the ground.

The temptation to use chemicals may be strong if you don't care for yardwork or have little time for it. Remember that chemicals don't kill all the weeds either, no matter what the TV ads say, and you are left with ugly dead plants in your yard as well as chemical residues.

Some alternatives:

Have a garden "party." Invite some friends to help weed, and then have a potluck. Take turns meeting for weeding and socializing.
Use gardening time as a way to exercise and build strength.
Hire teenagers or the unemployed. Rent equipment for them to use, if the job is big. You will be helping the area's economic health as well as your own and your family's.
Plant attractive native plants where the weeds grew.

Both Newport Rental Service And Alsea Bay Power Products rent out a variety of gardening tools, ranging from little handheld pruners, to tractor mowers, to flame weeders. Check out our Coastal Resources page for their addresses and phone numbers.

Natural Home and Garden is located in Lincoln County, Oregon

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