20 of the worst landscape choices (flowers, landscaping, growing, palm)

[si33]

...all of us who love gardening..or are just serious plant junkies can testify to looking at a neighbors yard..or a landscape somewhere in our area where what was planted wasn't given alot of thought...
..some,..or perhaps many of us probably could testify to many battles trying to stop the invasions from some of the not so well behaved plants...some of which looked so nice..before they decided to take over...
...ive decided to list 20 of perhaps the worst plants to include in your landscapes....many i included already have a bad rap...others are just used way too often...and with all the possibilities out there..there are many other specimen choices which won't bother the neighbors....or just have alot more to offer..

......the number one worst contender: privet (ligustrum sp)...though so widely used,..there are better choices for creating hedge rows..privet is often a cause of allergies in the spring..and the fruits,which haven't been eaten by the birds,will stain concrete...those which have,..will end up appearing everywhere in your yard...and this plant doesn't need the birds to spread itself all over the place...a better bet,plant boxwood or sweet olive(osmanthus fragrans)....
...#2pittospourm...anyone who has battled with this plant knows how tough it can be...many species leach a chemical from the roots into the soil which can inhibit grass or other plants from growing near by...if you've handled it..you know that it stinks...even cut roots are foul smelling...so are the sticky fruits which also can turn up in other places...unless throughly removed,larger specimens will vigorously regrow from the stump..like privet,..this plant is way over used...
...#3:tree of heaven...almost everyone who sees it likes it,..until it turns up in your yard...then the battle begins... it is listed as extremely invasive in many places,and for good reason...one mass of seed hanging on the tree will create hundreds of babies everywhere...and i mean everywhere...
..though from a distance it looks like a sumac...it grows much taller..and a sample of the foliage reveals the foul-peanut butter like smell that distinguishes it...amongst trees...there are many,much better choices...if you have this invader on your property..get rid of it...
.....forth on this list,scotch/spanish broom (cytisus?..and other sp. in this clan)...here in california...it is listed as a huge no no for landscape choices...is extermely invasive and a fire hazard as most species are relatively short lived,..or produce loads of dead wood...there are a few cultivars which have been developed..which may be better behaved but id just avoid it all together...plants like cassias..or forsythia are better choices for bursts of yellow flowers,where adaptable...
....#5pampas grass and #6:giant reed......both of these are highly invasive..especially in warmer..or moister areas...or costal areas,as is the case with pampas grass here in ca. giant reed is also known to take over areas and takes up so much moisture..that it can degrade wet land areas..again..many better options out there.....
.....another grass id avoid is #7: japanese blood grass...another highly invasive species...which can be tough to get rid of...it is also prohibited in several areas..again..look for better choices..
....#8:euonomys..though im sure there are those who swear by this plant...it is way over used in many places that it doesn't belong..it can also be invasive..and that harmless looking wintercreeper nextdoor can climb up your house,into the trees and hang from the phone lines if left to its own devise..and yes..it will invade woodland areas too..its already trying to in some areas...
....#9..and 10..these two are just plain evil...firethorn (pyracantha sp.)..and the majority of junipers...both are overused and rarely look their best because of that...anyone who has pruned or had the pleasure to stumble into a firethorn can tell you how nast-ily thorny it is..it can also seed out where not wanted...
.....as for junipers..most plantings of this plant are a matter of quick fix solutions..some do look good when properly looked after..but the majority are left to become overgrown rat and debris collectors...some are simply pruned so badly that they can never look good..plants weren't made to fit the shape of a box..or an undulating hedge row..or to look like a green animal...and in areas where you can grow the carpet kinds of junipers,..consider better choices...something better on feet or hands.. yet just as tough...
......#11:..fruiting mulberry...for those of you who have delt with this tree..i agree that its just a messy weed...which drops so much fruit that a sidewalk beneath a tree can become permanately stained..as was the case with a driveway at a house i lived at in kansas..birds love it..and spread it everywhere...
...#12:...chinese pistache..for the most part,...this is a stunning specimen tree planted for its annual fall display..in areas too warm for maples...the flip side can be that if it seeds...babies will turn up everywhere...even in your rain gutters...and in wild land areas...if you have one..keep it..just keep an eye on it...at least untill its invasive potential is assessed...
...#'s 13,14,and 15:...all three of these made the list for various reasons..
13: nandina or heavenly bamboo...not all that interesting of a plant...and can sucker very badly...even turning up far from the parent plant...large clumps can be difficult to remove...where it develops seed,..it can be invasive..and may end up prohibited in some areas....
14: african iris(dietes sp.)...though it puts on a great show of white flowers during warm weather...it is rarely groomed properly...small clumps can develop into giant shrub like masses when not thinned...talk about a snail haven..i think its the best one in town!...plants left to develop seed will seed where ever they can...by the 10s of dozens....unthinned clumps are difficult to divide if left alone beyond 2-3 years...tree seedlings love getting started in them too...
15: barberry(berberis sp)...barberries are just another plain,over used,often poorly placed,very thorny landscape choice...only well placed,and well tended specimens look alright...thorny plants can be ok in a yard..but not where they become constant obstacles...or put up with lots of heat...the best specimens ive seen are dwarf,and are placed sparingly in cool entry way areas...where they aren't in the way...
...16,17,18,19:...all four of these have their places..but again,..are often miss used,or over used...
...16 orn.strawberry..a spreading ground cover which tends to be aggressive..and can become riddled with mildew in cool wet locations...also a snails haven..
...17:star jasmine...a very often over used vine with aggressive tendencies...ive seen this vine 30 feet up a maple tree.and creeping across telephone lines..and covering a 70 foot long 6 foot high fence..it often is left to accumulate lots of dead wood..which can end up pulling away from a fence or trellis..properly maintained...it looks great.. also,..note that the sap can irritate the skin...
..18:silk tree or mimosa..all of us know this one...and yes,..it can be a nice addition to a yard..while you wait for slower growing specimens to develop...the problem with it is its extreme seediness...it will turn up almost anywhere the seeds fall..even years after the parent tree is removed...also,it can be a mess when the flowers fall...but so are other flowering trees..other considerations include jacaranda,cassia,peltophorum and tipuana...all of these have mimosa like foliage and are often better behaved..
19: indian hawthorn..another shrub specimen which is often over used and under cared for...nice specimens are lush and keep a good appearance...most others are ratty or spindly/sickly looking...yet another poor canidate for hedge rows...some potential for spreading but most don't seem to
...#20:....lastly...the one plant no one should ever grow..especially where it can survive..scarlet wisteria or any of the sesbania species...while some like scarlet wisteria have attractive red flowers...it is an extremely invasive plant that has been prohibited an several states because of its tremendous aggressiveness in wet land areas..seeds from one plant can float miles down stream and start new stands...or the seeds can stay dormant untill disturbed...id almost compare this one to melaluca or brazillian pepper in how bad of an invader it can be...and why it was prohibited...look around for much better behaved,red flowering alternatives...
...there are so many plants to consider when planning out a landscape...these 20 are some of the not so greats you might not want to include...any i forgot?..im sure there are..feel free to chime in...often its lack of proper advise which can lead to not so wise plant choices...or over use of a particular specimen...some others are just not ment to fit into the ideas we might have for them...plants have their own personalities..no matter how tame they seem....

[azoria]

Interesting thoughts.....

I certainly agree with the junipers. Although they have their place in the landscape where they are a good choice, they are terribly overused and if not cared for look brown and dead and refuse to be pruned. I really really really hate arborvitaes. Scratchy, untameable, and ratty.

Possibly the plant I hate the most which is overused everywhere in the US, is the red tip photinia. Despise them. They always have black spot, usually covered with a host of dead brown branches, and grow to be 30 feet tall and 20 feet wide when the owner wanted a cute little bush for the front yard. You want a small shrub people? Plant something that doesn't want to be 3 stories tall.

Also detestable is the *dwarf* Burford holly, a spiky invasive shrub that gets huge and is an eyesore forever after being trimmed. Nasty bush. Agree wholeheartedly with euonomyous bashing. Ugly, bug ridden, fetid shrubbery.

Silver maples, box elder, flowering crabapples, bradford pear, cottonwoods and poplars--trash trees of the worst sort.

But.....I gotta tell ya...I have a soft spot for pampas grass--in the right place. I've seen some country properties in west Texas with row plantings of pampas grass and thought they were most beautiful indeed. Pampas needs just the right spot and lots of room.

And just personally I hate average little yards that contain shedding spiky yuccas, agaves, and those hideous century plants. Add New Zealand flax which becomes totally gargantuan and a forest of leathery spears 20 feet tall.

I see a lot of really heinous 'professional' landscaping. Gardening is much more to my taste.

Hey thanks for letting me rant! I'm in the gardening business and there is a lot of work I just won't touch.

[azoria]

And speaking of invasive plants, here in Seattle I'm finding that even the most desireable garden shrubbery becomes a weed.

It's the climate. Lots of rain and a 12 month growing season. I've spent half the summer hacking back rhododendrons, camilias get as big as trees and take over the yard, hydrangeas 10 feet across. Butterfly bush will get a foothold in any crack of the sidewalk here and spread unstoppably. I've never seen anything like it.

Planting any kind of ornamental vine in Seattle is a gamble. In a few years time it will be on top of the house, up the trees, coming in the window frames. Crazy stuff.

[brokensky]

You mention some of my favorite plants, LOL. Love my nandina, variegated euonymous and japanese barberry. Also, have had a pyracantha - did an espalier treatment - gorgeous. Yes, hard work but it was on a chimney and quite impressive. Some of my other favorites have been various yews . . . aucuba (japonica, japanese, variegated).

I love Wisteria, but only when used on an outer perimeter of the landscaping - with an arbor or pergola in a seating area. I also like Althea, wh/ others eschew.

I think it all depends what zone you are in and what style of home you have. I have an 18th C Georgian, so I have many gardens in different plots . . . plus the back of our property is heavily wooded . . . and I like invasive plants, including mint. I am constantly propagating, dividing and spreading the joy around the property. I guess this is not a process for everyone!

[BlueWillowPlate]

Wow--Japanese blood grass is invasive?
It sure wasn't in Denver, Colorado. Neither was euonomys.
I guess it does indeed depend on the climate, zone, etc.
I know that wisteria is a non-native species is is not supposed to be used here in north Florida. I actually don't see any here on the northeast side, but I sure did over in the northwest Florida panhandle.
Where I live now, we are only supposed to garden with native species, and people (with a few scattered cheats) pretty much obey the rules.

[bepeaceinsc]

Most of the species you listed are non-native, invasive species. They are choking out native plants in many areas of the country which also results in problems for native wildlife.
There is a native species of wisteria and there are nice cultivars of it. It is much more polite than the chinese wisteria and does not choke out trees.
Florida has a fairly rigid ban on the sale of many invasive plants. I wish South Carolina officials would get on board. We are now battling Cogon grass. It is evil!

[si33]

..interestingly,...the dreaded cogon grass you listed is related to japanese blood grass...and yes..it is just as nasty where it flouishes...
...another grass that we here in ca. dispise is kikuyu...which used to be promoted as an alternative to bermuda for turf grass...what i diddn't realize is that besides being deep rooted...it will climb over competing vegatation and exude a toxin which kills its competitor..in more natural situations,it can even kill tree saplings..which is one reason that its highly restricted,or being phased out here in the state,..as well as in other areas...
....BlueWillowPlate mentioned a terrific point...i can't think of any other state which pays such close attention to its nursery trade as florida does...and i believe that all states should follow florida's lead...the invasive list the state posts is extensive..and frequently updated...and catagorized by 3 levels of potential invasive-ness..those plants listed as cat#1 are those which are prohibited..and i believe that there are programs set up there to remove such listed material from neighborhoods or communities...other states should follow florida's example...that is,if they aren't already..
azoria...your rant is appreciated...i can only imagine how "wild" rhods. and camilias can get up there....with all the rain...i also agree that some plants..in certain areas can be better behaved....pampas grass,i think?,..is at its northern limit up there..and tends to less aggressive under seattle's conditions...here..it spreads everywhere under ours...
..another great point is trying to cram large specimen plants into smaller sized yards...ive seen so many people try to shove huge grasses like switch grass or calamagrostis into small spaces...no amount of constant attention is going to make these specimens look good under such dimensions...huge grasses,..or agaves,..or even the larger new zeland flax cultivars look best in places which can accommodate them...even great trees like redwoods or bombax malabaricum need alot of space to look great in a landscape...eventual size of a specimen is something you must take into account when choosing plants..especially shrubs vines or trees...
..as far as using natives...definately recommend it..just keep things in perspective cuz even some natives can be alot of work in tight places..
..i like the idea of blending both non native and natives in designs...there are plenty of great,well behaved introduced plants which everyone can use for different gardening situations...where ever you live in the country..
..what i dislike is that boring same-ness you more often encounter..or miss/overly used plants which just don't have alot of appeal..crotons make awsome accent specimens..plain ugly when planted all over the place
....junipers do have a place..some of the native species can look spectacular when properly placed or cared for..and some others can look just as good...but when you use a mass of them to fill a 15'x30' space...thats just pure laziness in my opinion..id rather put in easy going salvias ,some little bluestem or blue fescue and other lower growing drought tolerant plants ..perhaps even a couple medium sized flowering shrubs that love heat...heck..in a space that size..even a small sized tree like a saucer magnolia, crape myrtle or tabebuia, a knock out for warmer areas..could be included ...doubt a redwood,bald cypress or valley oak could work though...landscaping shouldn't be about installing the cheapest..least attractive plants possible...a great design should be as attention getting as a masterpiece...even if the canvas is only a 10x10' space..it can look terrific..without the privets... ....chime on....

[Rtom45]

Weeping willows have no place in an "average" landscape, maybe if you"ve got a lot of space and no close neighbors. Mint in this part of the country just can't be stopped once you get it going.

[bluepacific]

Okay so I'll bite on this one.

Location!!!! - Location!!!! - Location!!!!

My worse landscape choice is the move I made coming to Scandinavia and not ever being able to have Palm Trees and other Tropicals or even Desert and Savanah plants. Not to mention, No More Hummingbirds

Not exactly what anyone expected is it ??????????

[Bazzwell]

Many catalogs offer "Russian Silver Olive" for hedgerows. They photograph beautifully when well trimmed and are cheap as chips. But forget to keep them in line and these monsters grow quickly into trees, tall trees in as little as two seasons. If they go to seed and the birds carry them, you're in for a full blown invasion in your area. But the real misery is the needles. As they harden they turn into two inch spikes that will go through a shoe or a tire. Makes a thorn bush seem like a comfy bed by comparison.