Recommending Invasive Plants

Question

With so many native, beneficial plants available, I am curious why you would strongly recommend burning bush for fall color. People love it for the fall color. But a fantastic native plant is Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii or Fothergilla major) Fothergilla has beautiful fall foliage in shades of yellow, orange and red. It also has fragrant, white bottlebrush flowers in spring. That’s a bonus over the burning bush. As a Master Gardener, I am a strong proponent of ditching exotics for native plants. I hope you’ll help us help native pollinators with smart choices.

Answer 1

Sometimes, plants are invasive in one area, but not in another. To be fair to gardeners, everywhere, We must include information for plants of all types. For our east Asian gardeners, where it is native, it will not be invasive. It is always a good idea to check with local laws and how invasive certain species are before planting in your area.