Radek Tesár 14. 4. 2025 clock 4 minutes video
There is already spring and it is the ideal time to plant new flowers, shrubs and trees. Maybe you’re already thinking about some interesting catch of the local horticulture. However, before you decide, beware of some plants that can properly harm your garden.
Surely all plants are beautiful, but there are also those that certainly do not belong to your garden. We are talking about invasive species that are not the original inhabitants of our Central European ecosystem. Some have been brought to our regions randomly, for example through the import of agricultural products, others were deliberately brought here as ornamental plants before it turned out how aggressive they could be. Even today you can still find them in horticulture or on the Internet. Invasive plants can quickly destroy the balance in your garden because they spread very quickly and suppress the original flora. And some of them may even be dangerous not only for the garden, but also for your health or the health of pets.
YouTube video about what invasive plants avoid when buying can be found on the channel Gardening Know How:
Source: YouTube
6 types of plants that are better to avoid
Giant anemone, Chinese wistaria, lily of the valley, Norwegian maple, denivka and ivy. These are all plants that can cause considerable problems to your garden. Anemone, brought as an ornamental plant, for example grows very fast and can be dangerous to humans, because its juice can cause skin problems and serious burns. China’s wisteria captivates with beautiful flowers and irresistible scent, but its aggressive growth can damage the trees and push out the native species.
Lily of the valley spreads quickly and can flood large areas, which also pushes and kills other plants. The Norwegian maple, which has become a favorite shadow tree, spreads with seeds and is very difficult to get rid of small trees that will then grow. Denivka is a beautiful flower reminiscent of lily, but its underground tubers multiply rapidly and can suppress the growth of surrounding plants. And ivy, although one of the most popular evergreen climbers, can damage structures and suffocate other plants.
Although the ivy is so invasive, you can find it in almost every garden. This fast -growing climbing species can quickly overshadow the original flora and damage the trees or walls to which it is attached. If you choose to grow it, it is important to regularly control its growth and avoid its planting on outdoor walls or trees that would only suffer.
How to get rid of invasive species and what to watch out for
Getting rid of invasive plants may seem challenging, but it’s definitely not impossible. For plants such as anemone or wisteria, it is the best solution to contact experts. You should definitely not remove the anemone yourself because its juice is a risk. Vistaria can be removed by cutting, but long -term removal often requires the use of herbicides, which is also better to leave to specialists. Lily of the valley spreads through underground rhizomes, which must be thoroughly digged to prevent further growth.
In plants such as ivy or daylivka, which multiply and spread quickly, it is important to regularly check and remove new shoots. The ivy is best to pull out by hand, but beware of its roots, which can damage the structure of support for which it is tightening. For daylifts it is necessary to dig the entire root system and make sure that even the smallest pieces that could germinate be removed. But most importantly, this is prevention. If you want to avoid these problems, it is good to avoid planting these invasive species.
So if you are going to buy new additions to your garden, think about what you are buying. Often, a small innocent plant can become a nice problem in a few years that will be difficult to solve. Be careful and choose plants that will not endanger your garden or surrounding nature.
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