11 Native Alternatives for Popular Invasive Plants

Native plants are exceptional! They thrive in your garden with little to no maintenance, as they evolved to grow in their native range. Wherever an invasive species thrives, there’s sure to be a native plant alternative that can replace it. 

Not only are native species better for wild spaces, but they’re also beneficial for pollinators and wildlife. Their blooms provide valuable pollen and nectar for pollinators, their branches offer habitat space, and their fruits and seeds feed hungry critters. You help the entire ecosystem around you when you grow native plants.

The best way to prevent invasive species from spreading is to avoid planting them in the first place. Remove them fully before planting replacements if they’re already present. Some invasives sprout from root or stem fragments, and a proper excavation prevents them from returning.

Without further ado, here are 11 native alternatives for popular invasive plants. We’ll discuss the various species each native plant can replace.

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Pacific Blackberry

	botanical name Rubus ursinus
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 10-20′
	hardiness zones 3-9

Pacific blackberry is a low-growing spreader that works well as a bramble substitute in the Pacific Northwest and West Coast. It scrambles along the ground and roots freely, though it doesn’t harm trees and shrubs like invasive Himalayan or cutleaf blackberries.

Invasive brambles, like Himalayan blackberry, grow berries that birds love to eat. They eat them and disperse their seeds as they fly through forests, meadows, and coastlines. When the seeds fall in these areas, they sprout into monster plants that take over anything in their sight!

Blackberries are especially invasive, as their thorny canes are difficult to work with and can damage nearby plants. It’s best to remove the canes each spring until the plants die out. Consider non-spreading alternatives like cultivars, hybrids, and native species similar to Pacific blackberry. 

Southern Dewberry

	botanical name Rubus trivialis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-3′
	hardiness zones 4-9

Dewberry works as an effective replacement for brambles in southern and eastern states. It’s a trailing groundcover that roots freely along its stems. In spring, white flowers emerge that attract pollinating insects. The fertilized flowers then morph into sweet and juicy dewberries. 

Unlike the Pacific blackberry, the southern dewberry tolerates high heat and sunny exposures common to the eastern U.S. It’ll work well as a replacement for invasive brambles, kudzu, or aggressive honeysuckles. 

American Wisteria

	botanical name Wisteria frutescens
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 15-40′
	hardiness zones 5-9

American wisteria replaces the invasive and unruly Chinese and Japanese wisterias. Though gorgeous, the exotic wisterias can scramble up trees and choke out their vegetation. They spread into forests and wild landscapes and push out native species, like the American wisteria.

The flowers of the American wisteria are just as beautiful as the non-native types. They’re lavender-white and emerge in dangling clusters. The vines need lots of sunlight to perform well, and they’ll struggle in sites with excessive shade.

If you’re considering using wisteria on an arbor or trellis, choose the American wisteria. It’ll wow you with its incredible blooms, and you’ll feel content knowing you’re planting a beneficial native species rather than an aggressive invader. 

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

	botanical name Hydrangea quercifolia
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-8′
	hardiness zones 5-9

Oak leaf hydrangea earns its name because of its lovely, lobed leaves. They’re like oak leaves but much larger. They’re green in spring and summer and turn a rich shade of red in the fall. The stems are covered in decorative peeling bark that reveals itself in winter when the leaves fall to the ground.

Because of the red fall color, oak leaf hydrangeas are perfect substitutes for similar color-changing shrubs like burning bush or heavenly bamboo. Burning bushes and heavenly bamboo are invasive in some regions, and it’s best not to plant them or their cultivars. 

Not only do you receive excellent fall color with this hydrangea, but you also get to enjoy pyramidal bloom clusters with white, fragrant blossoms. They attract pollinators to your yard and feed many beneficial insects.

Spring Beauty

	botanical name Claytonia spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 2-12″
	hardiness zones 3-9

Spring beauties are ephemeral—they sprout in spring and fade in summer, offering seasonal blooms and leaves that blanket the soil. They sprout from small bulbs underground that allow them to resist drought, intense weather, and high heat. 

Two main species of spring beauties thrive in the U.S. They’re the western spring beauty, Claytonia lanceolata, and the common spring beauty, C. virginica. Use the western species in the West and the common one in the East. 

Spring beauties are effective alternatives for other ephemeral, but invasive, groundcovers. Replace lesser celandine, non-native buttercups, and similar plants with spring beauties. 

Fireweed

	botanical name Epilobium angustifolium
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-5′
	hardiness zones 2-7

Purple loosestrife is a stunning, but invasive, herbaceous perennial that’s common throughout the country. It’s a problem because of its ample seed production; a single plant can sow thousands more! Pulling the purple flowering plants and their seedlings is crucial in preventing their spread.

Rather than planting purple loosestrife hybrids, cultivars, or species, opt for fireweed! It’s a native herbaceous perennial that thrives across the northern hemisphere in temperate regions. Its magenta flowering spikes emulate those of purple loosestrife, making it an effective substitute.

Fireweed, though not invasive, can spread aggressively from where you originally planted it. Pull its seedlings if they sprout where you don’t want them to, and transplant them to a more suitable location. 

American Barberry

	botanical name Berberis canadensis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-6′
	hardiness zones 4-8

American barberries are decorative, deciduous shrubs with spiny stems and leaves. They replace invasive barberries that tend to spread into forests. Birds eat the non-native shrubs’ berries and disperse the seeds in natural areas. This American species is a great replacement for gardeners in the eastern U.S.

Like ornamental barberries, the American species is hardy, drought-tolerant, and adaptable. It works well in sunny sites, moist ones, or dry ones with clay soil. The key is establishing the barberry the first year, as it’ll grow hardy the second and third year after planting. 

When happy, this native shrub tends to sucker and form small thickets. Let it spread if you’d like it to cover the soil, otherwise, prune the suckers off before they mature. 

Oregon Grape

	botanical name Berberis aquifolium
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 3-6′
	hardiness zones 5-8

Oregon grape replaces invasive barberries for gardeners in western states! It’s also in the Berberis family. It’s a medium-sized shrub with spiny leaves and bright yellow flowers that emerge in early spring. It tolerates dry shade surprisingly well! 

Other species of American Berberis make great substitutes for other weedy species. Consider creeping Oregon grape, Berberis repens, an evergreen alternative for English ivy in shady sites. Cascade barberry, Berberis nervosa, is another low-growing type perfect for shady gardens.

Coral Honeysuckle

	botanical name Lonicera sempervirens
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10-20′
	hardiness zones 4-9

Coral honeysuckle spreads with vining, rambling stems. It’s a native vine with two growing styles: upright or as a groundcover. This dual functionality means it replaces many spreading invasive plants like English ivy, yellow archangel, and vinca. Avoid planting these unruly species and choose a native honeysuckle! 

This plant is one of the showiest honeysuckles originating from North America, though there are many others perfect for gardens across the country. Choose coral honeysuckle if you live in the southeastern U.S. Opt for orange or pink honeysuckles in the Pacific Northwest, and try limber or pale yellow honeysuckles in the East. 

Not only do honeysuckles provide fragrant blooms for both gardeners and pollinators, but they also grow berries that feed birds and small mammals. They’re excellent vines or shrubs for woodland gardens. 

Lance Self-Heal

	botanical name Prunella vulgaris ssp. lanceolata
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10″
	hardiness zones 3-9

Lance self-heal is a substitute for weedy self-heal. The weed originates from Asia and Europe, while lance self-heal originates from North America. Our native plant is a handsome, short specimen with lovely lavender blooms. It’s not weedy like the invasive species that spreads into lawns, beds, and borders. 

It’s hard to tell the difference between lance and the common self-heal. The leaves are one key to identification: they’re longer, or more lanceolate, on the native species than on the weedy one. 

Rather than in lawns, this perennial grows best in rock gardens, raised beds, and wild landscapes. Its free-rooting stems may spread and form small colonies. Let them spread, and watch in the spring as their lavender blossoms attract honey bees, bumblebees, and butterflies.

Yerba Buena

	botanical name Clinopodium douglasii
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6″
	hardiness zones 5-12

Yerba buena is a mint relative that grows throughout the West Coast. You can use its fresh or dried leaves to make tea! It spreads with free-rooting stems that create dense patches over time. White blossoms emerge on short stems in spring that attract pollinating and beneficial insects. 

Yerba buena is a superb alternative plant for yellow archangel, mint, and lemon balm. It’ll blanket the soil and prevent weeds from sprouting. Its leaves are evergreen in warm, temperate regions. You’ll be making tea with it year-round!