5 Invasive, Aggressive, Troublesome Plants to Watch Out For in a Virginia Garden

The Oak Spring Garden Foundation has a large variety of plant species.

But if the foundation had to name just five invasive species that were particularly tenacious, widespread, and unwanted on the property, those would be the five listed below.

1. Tree of Heaven from China (Ailanthus)

It has attractive, elongated leaves and seed pods that are the color of a sunset.

It also grows quickly, quickly bringing shade to areas that would be uninhabitable for many other species, such as gardens, landscapes, and urban areas.

Ailanthus, which spreads quickly, can stifle native species and release chemicals into the soil that are allelopathic, which can hinder or prevent the emergence of other plants.

It is also the spotted lantern fly host plant, an invasive Chinese insect that was first found in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has since been seen in Fauquier County's neighboring counties.

The spotted lantern fly can seriously harm fruit trees.

2. Oriental Bittersweet

Oriental bittersweet is a hardy, quick-growing vine that was brought to the US throughout the late 1800s as an ornamental plant.

With its red berries enclosed in golden casings, oriental bittersweet quickly found its way into holiday decorations.

Due to its quick spread through native landscapes and propensity to smother and overwhelm even large, mature trees, it was classified as an invasive species by the 1970s.

The University of Connecticut's Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group claims that some states forbid the sale and cultivation of oriental bittersweet.

Native American bittersweet is a much better option for holiday wreaths and landscaping.

3. Garlic Mustard

Spring is when garlic mustard sprouts and this invasive weed is particularly fond of shady forests, highway shoulders, and stream banks.

Garlic mustard, native to Europe and was probably first brought to North America by early settlers as a food source, has a major drawback in that it can inhibit soil fungi, endangering the growth of native species.

The fact that garlic mustard is edible and rich in vitamins A, C, and E may be its only redeeming feature.

Pesto can be made using the leaves in place of basil, and a tasty "horseradish" can be made by grating the spicy roots and mixing them with salt and vinegar.

4. Multiflora Rose from Japan

Although the name "multiflora rose" sounds innocent, its behavior in North American farms and forests is anything but.

The multiflora rose was first imported to North America for ornamental purposes, like many invasive plant species. In the 1800s, it served as the rootstock for rose gardens.

But this attractive plant quickly escaped from cultivated areas.

It can survive in a variety of environments, changing the layout of grasslands and forests by smothering taller plants and shading out native flora.

5. Japanese Honeysuckle

In the winter, the leaves of Japanese honeysuckle are still green.

It has clusters of nectar-filled blossoms and an overpowering scent.

Early in the nineteenth century, Japanese honeysuckle was brought to North America for ornamental purposes.

According to the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, it is currently categorized as a noxious weed in Virginia due to its propensity to smother and kill native vegetation as well as suffocate shrubs and saplings by girdling.

The University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, through its Urban Forest Initiative, lists several native species, like the trumpet honeysuckle, which are both even more lovely and much better suited to North American ecosystems.