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Garden Detox: Ousting the Invasive and Welcoming the Natives
“Our Plant This, Not That” series is intended as a helpful starter tool for choosing non-invasive alternatives. If it is sold at a garden store, it should be harmless, right!? If only this were always true! At Painters, we routinely assess our program to ensure we never sell plants that are deemed invasive in North Carolina.
Invasive plants grow quickly and spread rapidly, outcompeting natives in our natural environment. They can create silos of monoculture that not only reduces plant variety, but significantly alter habitats, making it difficult for native insects, birds, and mammals to find the resources they need to live, eat, and reproduce. They can affect farmlands and forests and even infrastructure, becoming costly in a number of ways. Sometimes we see the clear impact (like when the non-native wisteria eats grandma’s front porch!) but sometimes the impact is felt further afield.
Seeds travel through wind and water, birds and animals. You may think 'what’s the harm' in leaving that butterfly bush or Japanese beautyberry—they’re so beautiful! But just because you don’t see them nearby doesn’t mean they aren't reseeding the forest edge two valleys over. Birds and insects and wind can disperse seeds long distances! And while you might be really good at pruning back or weeding down, who’s to tend that aggressive plant in 50 years? Or downstream? Or the train-track right-of-way?
By choosing native alternatives or non-invasive options, we can offer a more comprehensive and sustainable support system for our local wildlife and insect populations and contribute to the overall health and biodiversity of our WNC environment. There are many stunning native flowering plants that are just as enticing to all of us!
Let’s give you some great alternatives! Click the arrows to expand through our lists:
Burning Bush Basics
Let's start off with a word association game.
Perhaps one for Burning Bush or Euonymus alatus. Also commonly known as "the shrub with the fiery red leaves that is all over town."
Get a piece of paper and jot down all the words you can think of to describe Burning Bush.... Since I'm the only one writing here, I'll start.
brilliant
fiery
RED
fall foliage
striking
berries
Winged Euonymus
autumn
blazing
birds
Winged Spindle Tree
ever so pretty
Also very much:
exotic
banned
aggressive
rampant
non-sustaining
invasive
weedy
a real bummer of a shrub
Burning bush is pretty, yes. But it's a sticky wicket (as my mother would say). It forms dense thickets and out-competes our best native species. It reduces biodiversity in its thuggish spread. Those beautiful red berries on it that the birds love—they are so prolific that those seeds are now EVERYWHERE. Disrupting habitats all over the place!
And as with many plants that did not evolve in WNC, our wildlife has not evolved to use their leaves as a source of food. Moths, butterflies, and other insects won’t lay their eggs on their leaves. Meaning there are less homes for future butterflies and no caterpillars to provide food for our songbirds. (...it's all a bit more complicated than that, but it's basically what it boils down to!) It's a real bummer of a shrub!
You don't even have to take our word for it. It's such a bummer that the sale and cultivation of burning bush has been restricted or banned in several states. Let's all get on board in reducing its spread!
Luckily we have lots of other GORGEOUS choices for your yards and gardens. Read a bit about each and shop our availability at Painters this season:
Brilliant red color of a Red Chokeberry Serviceberry in the fall Fothergilla ‘Mount Airy’ with brilliant fall color Highbush blueberry Fall color. Photo credit: K. Andre CC-BY-SA 2.0 Dwarf fragrant sumac leaves Reddish leaves of Oakleaf Hydrangea in autumn
Chokeberry Aronia spp.
a favorite substitute here at Painters, it has brilliant red foliage in the fall and edible blueberry-like fruits that are highly attractive to birds
Staghorn Sumac Rhus typhina or Smooth Sumac Rhus glabra
great for banks and renown for autumn color; displays brilliant shades of yellow, orange, scarlet, and deep red, often appearing as though the plant is on fire
Virginia Sweetspire Itea virginica
fragrant white flowers in spring and intense reddish-purple foliage in fall
Dwarf Fothergilla Fothergilla gardenii
provides spectacular fall foliage—a brilliant, multi-colored mix of yellow, orange, red, and burgundy, often showing multiple colors on the same plant at the same time—and showy flowers in spring
Oakleaf Hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia
a surefire crowd favorite, beautiful blooms in spring and summer PLUS brilliant shades of red, mahogany, burgundy, and purple in fall
Possumhaw Viburnum 'Winterthur' Viburnum nudum
blue-black berry clusters and vibrant red foliage in fall
Red Twig Dogwood Cornus sericea
excellent for erosion control or a native pollinator garden plus a winter garden superstar with those brilliant red stems
Highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum
not just good for their fruit, also gorgeous in fall with shades of red, orange, purple, yellow, maroon, and bronze
Winterberry Ilex verticillata
while the leaves will drop relatively early, the vibrant red berries last through the winter, a beautiful winter addition plus providing food for songbirds and other wildlife
Serviceberry Amelanchier spp.
a versatile native shrub or tree with outstanding year-round appeal, including delicate white flowers in spring, edible reddish-purple berries in summer, and foliage that turns fiery shades of red, orange, and yellow in fall
American Beautyberry Callicarpa americana
while not red or fiery, the leaves turn a chartreuse or soft yellow in the fall alongside the most stunning clusters of bright purple berries that last well into winter—a valuable food source for many wildlife species (not to be confused with the invasive asian varieties)
Find these options and more at Painters! Check out our Availability Page to find varieties, sizes, prices, and more:
Butterfly Bush: Not as Sweet as It Seems
Butterfly Bush
Buddleja davidii (or Buddleia davidii)
Who doesn't want a plant called a Butterfly Bush!? Such savvy marketing leads us astray!
Maybe you love Butterfly Bushes for their shape and color and their interesting blooms. Or maybe you love them for their drought tolerance and easy care. Or maybe you really love them because you really love butterflies! (I’m betting this is our main camp!) So why would we ever ask you to NOT plant that next butterfly bush?
This one is a hard one!
Butterfly bushes are such pretty plants. We love pretty plants! (Have you SEEN our Instagram feed!?!) Wandering through our many growing spaces at Painters, one could even presume that pretty is our only game. 😀 But in the many years we’ve been growing and selling plants, we learn more and more the importance of beneficial alongside beauty. We want to appreciate and support diverse wildlife alongside an aesthetically beautiful natural space. And frankly, it’s an easy thing to do once you realize how many plants are both beautiful AND beneficial!
Butterfly bushes are undeniably attractive to butterflies with their abundant nectar. They draw adult butterflies with their flower spikes, but butterfly species need resources in all stages of life. Native to China, butterfly bush is not a host plant for any native North American butterfly caterpillars, meaning they cannot use it as a food source. Without caterpillars, there will be no adult butterflies. Also without caterpillars, birds will not survive. The last thing any of us intended when planting that pretty butterfly bush is a decline of local butterfly and bird populations, but that could be an indirect result. While the nectar may feed adults, their young need food too.
Buddleia can inadvertently disrupt local ecosystems in other ways too. Each of their many flower spikes can produce up to 40,000 tiny dust-like seeds. Add wind and water and this non-native, easy-to-grow plant becomes quite prolific. Sometimes spreading into edge habitats and outcompeting native plants that our local butterflies and other pollinators rely on for food and shelter throughout their entire life cycle–not just for nectar.
By choosing native alternatives, we can offer a more comprehensive and sustainable support system for our local butterfly populations and contribute to the overall health and biodiversity of our WNC environment. There are many stunning native flowering plants that are just as enticing to butterflies and play a critical role in our local food web.
Let’s give you some great alternatives!
Clethra Virginia Sweetspire
You can create a haven for local butterflies and other pollinators by selecting a native flowering shrub that thrives in your specific site. For sunny locations, Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia) and Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica) are beautiful and beneficial options.
Buttonbush 
New Jersey Tea-- Photo Credit: John Oyston, via Wikimedia Common
If you have wetter soil, Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a great choice with incredibly fun blooms that support a multitude of moths and bees as well as butterflies, as is New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) with its large, airy blooms that are highly beneficial to a range of pollinators.
Caryopteris Lilac Chaste Tree (Vitex)
If you are seeking drought tolerant plants that are easy care and you're especially tied to the blue color of many butterfly bushes, Bluebeard (Caryopteris) and Lilac Chaste Tree (Vitex) are pollinator magnets that perform in dry heat. While not native, and therefore not providing food for caterpillars, they are not invasive and therefore shouldn't push out native food sources. If you choose either of these, we recommend planting a variety of native food sources nearby to ensure caterpillars have needed support (such as the above native shrubs, native hibiscus, Pussy Willow, Joe-Pye, asters and goldenrod).
You can also attract and feed a multitude of butterflies by planting drifts of tall perennials such as Anise Hyssop (Agastache), Blazing Star (Liatris), various Joe-Pye Weed species (Eutrochium), and different milkweed species (Asclepias, etc). We specifically love the Anise Hyssop because of its gorgeous spike blooms similar to the Butterfly Bush and how full and large it grows during the season.
Chinese and Japanese Wisteria: Pretty but Problematic
Who doesn’t absolutely love a gorgeous spring bloom? At the end of a long cold winter, the sight of a full and fragrant cluster of blooms is like coming up for air. This time of year, you may be finding yourself admiring those groupings of spring blooming vines with all the pendulous purple flowers. Wisteria is so lovely!
But did you know that most wisteria you see is non-native? Read more about why we should consider alternatives and then find a great list of substitutes below.
Both Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) and Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) were introduced to the U.S. in the 1800s as a favored plant for climbing trellises, gazebos, and porches. It provided dense shade and was exceptionally fast growing. "We" thought this was a darling option! Unfortunately the collective "Past Us” was not doing a favor for “Future Us.” We know better now!
These non-native wisteria are now considered invasive in at least 19 states. Both are aggressive vines that can reach up to 70 feet with 15 inch stems (or more)! These invasive vines can easily choke or kill native trees by shading out foliage and girding tree trunks. Understory plants and shrubs are smothered or killed beneath the heavy weight or shaded out completely. And these non-native wisterias often outcompete native plants for resources in North Carolina, most commonly in disturbed areas like forest edges. They easily spread by runners and seeds so even with our best intentions, they are incredibly hard to contain. Plus horror stories abound of smashed gutters, split siding, and even structural/foundation issues. The collective present-day "Us” might be looking for less costly and more beneficial alternatives!
Fortunately, we have plentiful, gorgeous alternatives! Check out these native perennial vines at Painters this spring:
Passionflower Coral honeysuckle Carolina Jessamine Crossvine Trumpet vine
Passiflora incarnata Passionflower vine
NATIVE perennial vine (z5-9) full sun-part shade, climbing 6-8'
Utterly extraordinary spring blooms, plus edible fruits, known as maypops
Thrives in well-drained soil, drought tolerant; spreads by root suckers
Important larval host plant with exceptional wildlife value, as beneficial as it is beautiful
Bignonia capreolata Crossvine ‘Tangerine Beauty’
NATIVAR perennial vine (z5-9) full-part sun, up to 30' climb
Abundant long-lasting tangerine blooms bring hummingbirds galore
Easily attaches to most surfaces by tendrils
Tolerates partial shade, but best flower production occurs in full sun
Campsis radicans Trumpet vine ‘Flava’
NATIVAR perennial vine (z4-10) full sun-part shade, 30-40' climb
Attractive orange-yellow summer blooms, adored by hummingbirds
Needs a sturdy structure for support; an aggressive spreader, best kept contained
Can cause skin irritation on contact; aka cow-itch
An aggressive spreader, best kept contained; can cause skin irritation (aka cow-itch)
Gelsemium sempervirens Carolina jessamine
NATIVE perennial vine (z6-10) full-part sun, 10-20' climb, 4-8' wide
Masses of yellow flowers in early spring, adored by hummingbirds
Semi-evergreen foliage takes on a burgundy tinge in cool weather
Happily grows up trellises or arbors; planter beware: highly toxic if ingested
Lonicera sempervirens Coral honeysuckle
NATIVE perennial vine (z4-9) full sun, 15-25' climb
Coral red-yellow trumpet blooms spring to fall, semi-evergreen
Blooms bring pollinators, fall berries attract birds
A lovely native alternative to more aggressive honeysuckle vines, adored by hummingbirds!
Lonicera sempervirens Coral honeysuckle ‘Magnifica’
NATIVAR semi-evergreen vine (z4-8) full-part sun, 7-10' climb
Sweetly scented, bright orange, tubular blooms; after flowering, red fruits provide food for birds
Twines beautifully up trellises or other support; a favorite of hummingbirds!
Lonicera sempervirens Coral honeysuckle ‘Major Wheeler’
NATIVAR deciduous perennial vine (z4-8) full sun, climbing up to 10'
Abundant red trumpet flowers spring-fall; valuable for wildlife, hummingbird magnet!
Needs support to climb; not invasive and easy to grow, amenable to pruning
Not invasive and easy to grow; beautiful and highly valuable for wildlife
In previous seasons, Painters has carried American wisteria (specifically, Wisteria frutescens 'Amethyst Falls') and hope to again soon. The native species is not only a nectar source for butterflies and native insects, but it is also the larval host for silver-spotted skipper butterflies. A solid alternative choice!
As always, for more current prices, sizes, and varieties, view our Growing List and Availability Pages on our website:
Bradford Pear Alternatives
Bradford pear is a popular cultivar of the Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) native to China and Vietnam. White spring blooms, dark glossy leaves, and a tight pyramidal growth habit has made Bradford pear a common ornamental chosen for landscapes. Bradford pear was originally bred to be sterile and the flowers unable to pollinate themselves. As more cultivars of Callery Pear entered the market, more opportunities for cross-pollination arose, fruit with viable seeds were produced and birds helped spread. You can now find thick stands of thorny Callery Pear escaped from cultivation and present along roadways, fence lines, and edges of cleared land. Chances are the white blooming trees you often see this time of year are seedlings from Bradford pears. The thorny Bradford pear offspring are not desirable to deer browsing, have such a dark, thick canopy it easily outcompetes native vegetation, and grows vigorously—all of these traits allow it to become extremely competitive with native vegetation.
In addition to their invasive qualities, Bradford pear blooms have an unpleasant smell, a fishy or rotting meat odor attracts carrion-loving beetles and flies, which are the original pollinators of the Callery tree. With their rapid growth rate the limbs and trunk are structurally weak and often split and fail within 10-20 years of its lifespan.
Here are some options to replace your Bradford pears that will provide more than just ornamental value, but also ecological value and a longer lifespan. These small deciduous tree choices are all native to western North Carolina and often in stock at Painters Greenhouse
Check sizes, prices, and current availability on our website: https://www.paintersgreenhouse.com/tree-shrub-availability
Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)
White blooms in early spring (aligns with Bradford pear bloomtime), usually reaches 25’ in height and width at maturity, edible fruit and stunning fall color.
White Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus)
White, fragrant, dainty blooms in spring, reaches 12-20’ in height and width, produces fruit (similar to olives) appealing to wildlife if a male and female tree are present.
Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Magenta spring blooms present before leaves, reaches 20-30’ tall and wide, valuable nectar and pollen source for bees when food sources are scarce.
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)
White spring bloomer, reaches 15-25’ tall and wide, beautiful fall foliage.
Carolina Silverbell (Halesia Carolina)
Showy white blooms in late April/early May droop from dainty limbs, slowly reaches 20-30’ tall and wide, canopy is open-form with a loose pyramidal shaped crown.
Substitutes for Pampas Grass and Miscanthus
TLDR: Reseeds to the point of invasiveness. Highly flammable. Also scarily sharp. We’ve got great alternatives here at Painters!
In this segment of our invasive alternatives, we hope to shed some light on two commonly requested grasses: pampas grass and miscanthus or eulalia (also referred to as Chinese or Japanese silvergrass). Whatever the name, I call it Trouble!
Both Miscanthus sinensis (Eulalia) or Cortaderia selloana Pampas Grass were brought to the United States from their native regions (Asia for Miscanthus and South America for Pampas Grass) for use as ornamental grasses. But their flaws make them more danger than delight.
Pampas grass’s whip-like blades are terrifyingly sharp. (When we refer to their blades, it’s the truth—a literal stand of knives!) Not only difficult to garden around, but dangerous to children, pets, and other wildlife. The serrated edges make for undesirable habitat and if ingested, the sharp blades can cut mouths, throats, or digestive tracts of pets. Not only threatening physically, a single pampas grass plume can produce 100,000 seeds each year and once lifted into the wind, they can colonize large swaths in unintended areas. Similarly, miscanthus also reseeds to the point of invasiveness in our region—because they often favor disturbed sites such as roadsides they can be assumed less problematic, but edge habitats are critical to many species of birds, mammals, pollinators and more. Plus miscanthus has a large rhizomatus root structure that once established is incredibly difficult to eradicate.
Both of these invasive grasses also have high flammability ratings—invasive plant species as a whole tend to grow rapidly and form large monoculture stands creating conditions where wildfire is more prevalent and also more intense. These invasive grasses have a multiplying effect on that tendency. They dry out in mid-to late summer and fall becoming highly combustible and dangerous in the case of fire. Add this to a woodland edge and the whole region increases its risk.
But maybe you really love how pretty they look! If you are drawn to the tall and dramatic presentation of these ornamental grasses, any Big Bluestem is a great alternative. Tall and attractive with striking seedheads for visual interest throughout the seasons, these grasses are also incredibly beneficial for birds and wildlife in the winter. Leaving the seedheads provides food for wildlife and makes a great winter habitat. Just prune it all back in the spring.
Big Bluestem 'Blackhawks' photo from Walters Gardens, Inc. Big Bluestem 'Blackhawks' photo from Walters Gardens, Inc.
Painters loves to carry a wonderful variety of options. During our 2025 season at Painters we carried the straight species Big Bluestem plus three gorgeous varieties ‘Holy Smoke,’ ‘Blackhawks,’ and ‘Red October.’ Check current availability on our website:
Another incredible alternative is Karl Foerster feather reed grass. This is the most similar in appearance to pampas grass so you don’t have to sacrifice beauty! It’s an ornamental grass whose seedheads are sterile so no worry about it colonizing outside of your garden. It is easy to grow and the plumes last a really long time. Beneficial AND beautiful!
Read more about falling in love with grasses in our blog:
