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10 Common Garden Plants You Might Not Know Are Invasive 
10 Common Garden Plants You Might Not Know Are Invasive 
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Copper Iris (Iris fulva) – A Native Plant for Wetlands and Wildlife
Copper Iris (Iris fulva) – A Native Plant for Wetlands and Wildlife
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How to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden in Early Spring
How to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden in Early Spring
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Is this Poison Ivy? How to Tell Boxelder from Poison Ivy
Is this Poison Ivy? How to Tell Boxelder from Poison Ivy
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What are all these trees dropping on the ground in Spring?
What are all these trees dropping on the ground in Spring?
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Top 10 Flowering Plants that are Heat Tolerant
Top 10 Flowering Plants that are Heat Tolerant
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MAKE YOUR GARDEN SPECIAL

Find the gardening information and guides to create backyard habitat for wildlife, butterflies, and hummingbirds; learn more about native plants; or find the perfect plant to fit in your garden using the links below.

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10 Common Garden Plants You Might Not Know Are Invasive 

Creeping phlox flowers

Creeping Phlox: Spring-blooming Ground Cover

Pale lavender flowers of the woodland phlox

Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata)

Daffodils in bloom

My daffodil bulbs are coming up too early. Will they still bloom in spring?

Garden PROJECTS & IDEAS

Heucherellas with lime green and purple leaves

Purple and Lime Green Plant Color Combinations For Your Shade or Full Sun Garden

Red Rieger Begonia plant with lots of blooms

The 5 Best Valentine’s Day Flowering Plants For Your Gardener

Black swallowtail feeding on zinnia

HOA-Approved Tips for Eco-Friendly Gardens

Frozen bird bath with bird sitting on the edge

Bird Baths in Winter: How to Unfreeze Your Bird Bath

Gardening TOOLS & PRODUCTS

Gifts for Gardeners Less Than $30

Aerobin 400 Composter

Aerobin Composter Review: Compost Kitchen Scraps and Yard Waste in Your Backyard

Tomato seedlings planted in the Belham Living Raised Garden Bed

Belham Living Cedar Raised Garden Bed Review

Add Structure, Style, & Color to Your Garden with a Trellis & Flowering Vine

The Garden Experiments Newsletter

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Nandina, also called "Heavenly Bamboo," is a highl Nandina, also called "Heavenly Bamboo," is a highly invasive evergreen shrub from East Asia that's problematic in the Southeast. It forms dense thickets that smother native plants. It also produces berries that are toxic to wildlife.

This shrub is highly adaptable, thriving in shade and sun, and can grow in almost any soil type. Even a tiny root fragment can grow into new plants, making it extremely difficult to remove once established.

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a native shrub alternative to Nandina that produces bright red berries. It is particularly stunning in the winter when much of the color in your garden has gone.

#nativeshrubs #nativeplants #invasiveplants #nandina
Turtles on the move? It’s egg-laying season, and Turtles on the move? It’s egg-laying season, and you might spot one slowly crossing a busy road. The safest way to help is to move the turtle in the direction it was already heading—never turn it around. Always carry it low and steady, and don’t pick it up by the tail—it can cause serious injury. Watch this video for a quick guide to keeping both you and the turtle safe!

#turtlecrossing #turtles
Amazing Asiatic lilies blooming today in my garden Amazing Asiatic lilies blooming today in my garden. Aren’t they lovely?  #asiaticlily #asiaticlilies
It's easy to be captivated by the purple Chinese W It's easy to be captivated by the purple Chinese Wisteria blossoms, which you'll often see draping over trees on the roadside. But don't let the beauty deceive you. This plant may look nice while it's blooming, but it's an invasive species that harms native trees. It climbs aggressively and stops other plants from getting the resources they need to live. Once it takes hold, it's very hard to remove because it can survive in many conditions.

If you love those purple flowers, consider planting an American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) instead. It's a native alternative with a similar charm that doesn't disrupt the local environment. I finally found one for sale in my local garden center - we've planted it along a fence at my parents' house.

#wisteria #americanwisteria #nativeplants #gardening #invasiveplants #chinesewisteria
Let’s test your plant ID skills! Can you spot th Let’s test your plant ID skills! Can you spot the poison ivy? Even nature lovers get tricked by this pair all the time. Comment your guesses below.

#poisonivy #boxelder #leavesofthree
Stokes Aster (Stokesia laevis) Stokes aster is pe Stokes Aster (Stokesia laevis)

Stokes aster is perennial and grows nearly a foot tall (mainly the flowers reach this height). The leaves are long and lanceolate. The leaves on my plant remain throughout all seasons. 

Stokes aster's native range is restricted to a few southeastern states: Georgia, Louisiana, North and South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. 

Stokes aster is hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9. It likes a medium amount of water and grows well in semi-moist, but well-drained soils, and in full sun.

This plant will continue to spread, so you'll need to divide it every 3 or 4 years.

#stokeaster #nativeplants #nativeplant #purpleflowers
The bouquet I made for mom’s birthday all from f The bouquet I made for mom’s birthday all from flowers in my garden #bouqet #cutflowergarden #flowers #gardening
Wildflowers from the hike today #nativeplants #wil Wildflowers from the hike today #nativeplants #wildflowers
Around the garden #gardenflowers # gardening #gard Around the garden #gardenflowers # gardening #gardenlove #flowers
Ever seen an earth star? Earthstars are a fascinat Ever seen an earth star? Earthstars are a fascinating fungus that look like something from a sci-fi movie—starting as small balls before splitting open into star-shaped patterns. Their unique shape helps them spread spores in the wind or when hit by rain drops. You'll often find them in leaf litter or forest floors, especially in late summer and fall, or in my case, in your front lawn. #gardening #fungi #gardeninglife #mycology
🌱 Get invasive plants out of your garden! Inst 🌱 Get invasive plants out of your garden!

Instead of these 5 invasive plants, try planting a native plant or other garden plant instead. You'll thank me later!

#nativeplants #invasiveplants #invasivespecies #gardenplants #gardening
Oakleaf hydrangeas have huge, amazing, white flowe Oakleaf hydrangeas have huge, amazing, white flowers that smell so sweet. They bloom in mid to late spring and continue through the summer. This native shrub grows in part-shade to sun and is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. 

I planted mine two years ago; they are over 6 feet tall now and stunning. These hydrangeas are very low-maintenance. If you want them shorter, you have to prune them back. Other than that, I don't do anything to mine except water them in times of drought (although they are drought tolerant).

For instructions on propagating oakleaf hydrangea, visit my website and search for "hydrangea".

#nativeplants #nativeshrubs #oakleafhydrangea #hydrangea
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