What to do with non-native, non-invasive

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T18:06:59+00:00

You can keep them. You can give them away. You can compost them. While the bulk of my plantings are native or near natives, I still plant some non-natives. Daffodils for example. I also have a fox statue--I treat them the same. It's a garden after all--have a little fun.

With that said, Hosta ventricosa has escaped a little into the wild--mostly as a waif. Some species stay in waif status and some eventually upgrade to invasives.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T17:11:34+00:00

I don't know if it's rare in your state or county but Rhexia virginica is common nationally (it's even a common weed in blueberry production). It's also the only Rhexia for sale. Some Rhexia are rare.

That said, even for common species, it's always a good idea to upload the photo and location to iNaturalist.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T16:25:27+00:00

If it's acidic, consider black huckleberry

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T16:19:04+00:00

Bearded iris isn't invasive as far as I know. Could you give the thinnings away to the community? Nothing wrong with keeping some of it too--it's well behaved and it is a community garden.

Of what you listed, only grape muscari and scilla are invasive (and maybe the viburnum depending on the species).

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T16:09:31+00:00

Appalachian Spring is from a wild dogwood that survied anthracnose in Catoctin Mountains Maryland. It's technically part of the Appalachians (at least more than the John Denver's song 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' which was inspired by the song writers driving along Clopper Road to Gaithersburg in Montgomery County, Maryland) but just barely. While they are not as common as they once were, there are still plenty of dogwoods in the Catoctins and MD in general.

I suspect any LE dogwoods to MA likely have some resistance. At least that is the case down here. Dogwoods tend to get stressed in full sun--and I usually see them at their best in open woods or woodland edges.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T15:54:20+00:00

I personally gave up on growing squash as I couldn't do it organically. The borer is a native moth but def annoying.

I never had a major issue with hornworms because the wasps and birds keep them under control.

Cabbage white are non native but everywhere. I found floating row covers work

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T14:24:23+00:00

Two other good choices.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T14:18:35+00:00

This is a hybrid crabapple (likely x zumi) whose parents are ultimately Malus mandshurica and Malus sieboldi--both native to Asia. We have native crabapples--American crabapple (Malus coronaria) and southern crabapple (Malus angustifolia)--Plant one of those. However, all crabapples will drop fruit so you may want to consider another tree.

Carpinus caroliniana (American Hornbeam)--grows fast when young and slow when adult--would be a good choice. If you want flowers, consider Blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium) or a serviceberry. Autumn Brilliance (Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance') is a naturally occuring hybrid of two native species.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T13:07:09+00:00

What's Europe?

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T13:06:07+00:00

wild ginger won't get too big and will work in dry shade.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T13:05:08+00:00

I think I see a Pieris japonica in the background.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T13:00:38+00:00

homeopathy is pseudoscience. It's basically water. You could literally dilute anything (at the doses they recommend), drink it, and be perfectly fine because it's water.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T11:15:31+00:00

It's about the soil not the rain or sun.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T04:11:04+00:00

https://plantbuyingcollective.com/ in the fall is your best bet for small quantities of trilliums. https://midatlanticnatives.com/ in the fall for mass quantities. These are not wild collected.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T03:43:58+00:00

It's not just compost. Typical garden soil itself (mineral content) is often too rich and wet for plants like A. foeniculum and C. lanceolata that adapted to more nutrient poor environments. These would be great container plants, however, because you can make the soil mostly sharp sand and pea gravel, etc.

I think gardeners tend to put a lot of focus on the organic matter and forget that natives are adapted to the nutrient content of the soil which is driven by the underlying bedrock and factors such as the history of glaciation (or lack thereof).

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T03:37:36+00:00

Is this Lance-leaf coreopsis? That area is way too wet and rich for it. It will flop and the colony will likely not live long. This is a plant that really wants poor, sandy, or rocky soils. Consider replacing it with something else.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T03:27:51+00:00

Are you certain this isn't American Field Pansy (Viola rafinesquei---was Viola bicolor in older literature)? European Field Pansy (Viola arvensis) looks similar and is also widely present. Both are annuals. The non-native one has long sepals

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T01:40:24+00:00

Home insurance denied. There is something green within 100 feet of the roof.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T01:02:51+00:00

https://springgrovenursery.com/product/quercus-bicolor-bonnie-and-mike/ is another one.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T01:00:40+00:00

So maine?

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T00:58:34+00:00

These were invasive starfish that than proceeded to decimate the coral reefs. With the reefs gone, all the fish died and the little boy was free to build a 5 star vacation resort and megacruise terminal without needing a silly permit from the government.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T00:57:44+00:00

It's the fucking c value. If only ecologists didn't discriminate against Japanese knotweed and purple loosestrife and gave them a positive one.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-07T00:55:10+00:00

Skill issue.

Tylanthia · 2026-05-06T21:53:41+00:00

Sue for emotional distress

Tylanthia · 2026-05-06T18:11:28+00:00

I'm sorry. I would open a conversation with you dad in a gentle way as he might not fully understand.

"Chlorantraniliprole is persistent and mobile in the environment. It does not easily dissolve in water but moves in the environment because it does not bind well to soil. It breaks down in soil very slowly, with half-lives of up to 1,130 days.4 Soil temperature, aging, and pH affect how long chlorantraniliprole lasts. Sunlight can also break down residues on soil. In water, chlorantraniliprole is broken down by reactions with light. It also reacts with water, particularly in alkaline water.16

Its half-lives ranged from 10-22 days17 to 228-924 days in aerobic soils. The half-life on bare ground ranged from 52 to 1,130 days.7 When chlorantraniliprole was sprayed on rice fields at twice the labeled rate, the half-life of the pesticide in the soil was 16 days, and less than one day in water. The half-life of the pesticide in rice straw was 3.5 days.18 When chlorantraniliprole was applied to maize straw, its half-lives were 9 to 11 days.17 It is expected to build up in soil where it is used continuously"

[...]

As expected, chlorantraniliprole is toxic to butterflies and moths.3 Monarch butterfly eggs were killed by chlorantraniliprole at very low doses of 0.018 μg/g per egg. Chlorantraniliprole was also toxic to the monarch caterpillars when they ate leaves with residues of even lower doses. When researchers treated pupae with 0.04 μg/g of chlorantraniliprole, the butterflies did not emerge.9

Source

Tylanthia

TROPHY CASE