NATIVE ALTERNATIVES

Below is a sampling of native alternatives. Natives are great for wildlife & aesthetically pleasing. Be sure are suited to the site for which you are selecting them - not all plants are well suited to all sites. Also Be mindful of the two-part scientific name as some names may be similar for non-native (and even invasive) species. Native Grasses/Grass-like Plants Native Shrubs (S=Small) (L=Large) Common Name Scientific Name Common Name Scientific Name Blue-eyed Grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium Hearts-a-bustin’ (S) Euonymus americanus Indian Grass Sorghum nutans Inkberry Holly (S) Little Bluestem Andropogon scoparius St. John’s Wort (S) Hypericum ‘Sunburst’ Prairie Dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis Sweet Pepperbush (S) Clethra acuminata, C. alnifolia Purple Lovegrass Eragrotis spectabilis Sweetshrub (S) Calycanthus floridus Seersucker Grass Carex plantaginea Virginia Sweetspire (S) Itea virginica Switch Cane gigantea Winterberry (S) Ilex verticillata Switchgrass Panicum virgatum Arrow-wood Viburnum (L) Viburnum dentatum Chokeberry (L) Padus virginiana Native Herbaceous Plants (Non-woody) Florida Leucothoe (L) Leucothoe pupilifolia Common Name Scientific Name Possum Haw, Yaupon (L) Ilex decidua, Illex vomitoria Bee Balm Monarda fistulosa Spicebush (L) Lindera benzoin Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Wax Myrtle (L) Morella cerifera Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa Wild Olive (native) (L) Osmanthus americana Columbine Aquilegia canadensis Green and Gold Chyrsogonum virginianum Native Trees (S=Small) (L=Large) Heart-leaf Ginger Hexastylis arifolia Common Name Scientific Name Phox Phlox carolina, P. nivalis, Flowering Dogwood (S) Cornus florida P. paniculata, P. stolonifera Fringe-tree (S) Chionanthus virginicus Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea Sweet Bay Magnolia (S) Magnolia virginiana Whorled Milkweed Asclepias verticillata Serviceberry (S) Amelanchier canadensis Native Vines Buckeye (S) Aesculus sylvatica Carolina Cherry Laurel (S) Prunus caroliniana Common Name Scientific Name Musclewood (S) Carpinus caroliniana Coral honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens Sourwood (S) Oxydendrum arboreum Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia Pawpaw (S) Asimina triloba Crossvine Bignonia capreolata Ash (white, red) (L) americana, Gelsemium sempervirens Carolina Jessamine Fraxinus pennslyvanica Native Wisteria Wisteria frutescens Basswood (L) Tilia americana Muscadine Vitis rotundifolia Catawba Tree (L) Catalpa speciosa Red Cedar (L) Juniperus viginiana www.MecklenburgConservation.com Southern Magnolia (L) Magnolia grandiflora INVASIVE EXOTIC PLANTS DO NOT PURCHASE Many garden favorites are becoming “GREEN INVADERS.” Invasive Exotic Plants are species found outside their native range that threaten biodiversity. These plants grow and reproduce exponentially, out-competing native species for resources. Help stop the spread and avoid purchasing and planting these species. Below is a sampling of plants known to be invasive in our area, visit.

Invasive Vines Invasive Herbaceous Plants Common Name Scientific Name Common Name Scientific Name Five-leaved Akebia Akebia quinata Asian Spiderwort Murdannia keisak Air Potato Dioscorea bulbifera Bicolor, Sericia Lespedeza Lespedeza bicolor, cuneata Bush-killer Cayratia japonica Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata Chinese Wisteria Wisteria sinensis Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria Chinese Yam Dioscorea oppositifolia Tropical Soda Apple Solanun viarum Creeping Wintercreeper Euonymus fortunei Invasive Shrubs English Ivy Hedera helix Common Name Scientific Name Japanese Climping Fern Lygodium japonicum Autumn Olive, Silverberry Elaeagnus spp.* Japanese Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica Butterfly Bush Buddleja davidii Japanese Hops Humulus japonicus Chinese Holly Ilex cornuta Japanese Wisteria Wisteria floribunda Honeysuckle - Fragrant, Lonicera fragrantissima, Kudzu Pueraria montana Amur, Morrow’s, L. maackii, L. morrowii, L. Mile-a-minute Polygonum perfoliatum Standish’s Tartarian, Dwarf standishii tatarica, L. xylosteum Oriental Bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus Japanese Barberry Berberis thunbergii Periwinkle Vinca spp.* Japanese Spiraea Spiraea japonica Porcelain Berry Ampelopsis Leatherleaf Mahonia Mahonia bealei brevipedunculata Mulitflora Rose Rosa multiflora Invasive Grasses/Grass-like Plants Nandina, Sacred Nandina domestica Common Name Scientific Name Privet (Chinese, Japanese) Ligustrum spp.* Hibiscus syriacus Bamboo Bambusa spp.* Rose of Sharon Winged Euonymus Euonymus alatus Maiden/Chinese Silvergrass Miscanthus sinensis Cogon Grass Imperata cylindrica Invasive Trees Common Reed Phragmites australis Common Name Scientific Name Japanese Knotweed Polygonum cuspidatum Bradford Pear Pyrus calleryana Japanese Stiltgrass Microstegium vimineum Empress/Princess Tree Paulownia tomentosa Johnson Grass Sorghum halepense Mimosa Albizia julibrissin Liriope/Monkey Grass Liriope muscari, spicata Rose Glory Bower Clerodendron bungei Running Bamboo Phyllostachys spp.* Tree of Heaven Ailanthus altissima

White Mulberry Morus alba *spp. = Includes all species in genus