Although there are abounding options when it comes to planting flowers and landscaping such as Texas friendly flowers including phlox, primroses, snapdragons, lobelia, and alyssum. Here are some plants the National Arboretum recommends avoiding.
Bamboo. Some varieties of bamboo are so determined to spread that only extreme measures, such as plastic or concrete root barriers, can keep its rhizomes from running a muck in the yard. Running varieties include Chimono-bambusa, Indocalamus, Pleioblastus, and Sasa.
English Ivy. This popular ground cover and fence-grower has overstayed its welcome! Imported from Europe, where it adorns old buildings with charming effect, English ivy has overwhelmed American parks, forests, and suburban homes, climbing any kind of siding and drowning trees. It’s listed as a noxious weed in the Pacific Northwest and an invasive species along the Eastern seaboard.
Kudzu. It’s a ruthless invader will swarm over trees, buildings, road signs — anything in its path. It’s a semi-woody vine that can grow 1 foot per day, spreading through runners, rhizomes, and seeds.
Japanese Stiltgrass. This east Asia import creates a thick mat that starves native plants in forests and wetlands; your garden beauties don’t have a chance! This invader is best controlled with pre-emergent herbicides applied in late spring or early summer.
Purple Loosestrife. Once used to treat dysentery, this plant can quickly form impenetrable stands that starve out native vegetation and wildlife. No wonder it’s nicknamed Beautiful Killer. The best way to control it may be with natural enemies: Certain kinds of leaf beetles and weevils have been used to stop infestations. If the plant invades your garden: Dig it out, burn debris, or tie it in a dark plastic bag to prevent it from spreading in landfills.
Chinese Wisteria.It’s beautiful! This python-like plant can twist around a tree so tightly it can kill it. The stout stalks of Chinese wisteria and its cousin, Japanese wisteria can grow to more than a foot in diameter, forming a thicket that can smother other plants and collapse arbors. Yank it from trees, arbors, and pergolas, then pray with a systemic herbicide.
Leafy Spurge.This three-foot-tall invader not only crowds out other species, but it spreads toxins that prevent native species from growing near it. Leafy spurge seeds explode from capsules and can live in soil for seven years, making control a Sisyphean task. If you find them in your yard, spray plants with a systemic herbicide.
Keep this article in mind as summer turns to fall and cooler temperatures offer new opportunities to spruce up the landscaping.
