Many of the shrubs used in typical foundation plantings, such as euonymus, cherry laurel, and Asian azaleas, have been overused, and others, such as privet, nandina, and burning bush, are considered invasive in Northern Virginia. Join Extension Master Gardener Elaine Mills to learn how to broaden your plant choices from a palette of alternative native shrubs that can add beauty and diversity to the landscape while providing nectar, pollen, seeds, and fruit for local insects and birds.
Speaker: Elaine Mills, an experienced Extension Master Gardener and a creative force behind the resource Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic. Elaine is a co-coordinator of the Glencarlyn Library Community Garden, a Virginia Cooperative Extension Demonstration Garden in Arlington, Virginia.
Zoom session, recorded March 1, 2024
Video of Presentation
Chapter Breaks
Additional Resources – Handout
Sources of native plants
- Plant NoVA Natives: Native-only sellers and Periodic native plant sales
- Virginia Native Plant Society: Native Plant Nurseries
- Maryland Native Plant Society: Native Plant Vendors
- Additional Details and Answers to Chat Questions – 2020
- Native Alternatives to Overused Foundation Plants Addendum – 2024
Invasive Shrubs & Native Alternatives
❌ Asian Viburnums (Viburnum spp.)
✅ Arrow-wood (Viburnum dentatum)
❌ Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus)
Short video on Invasive Burning Bush
✅ Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)
❌ Bush Honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.)
Short video of Invasive Bush Honeysuckles
✅ Sweet-shrub (Calycanthus floridus)
❌ Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii)
Short Video on Invasive Butterfly Bush
✅ New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)
❌ Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
Short video on Invasive Japanese Barberry
✅ Common Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
❌ Japanese Spiraea (Spiraea japonica)
✅ Steeplebush (Spiraea tomentosa)
❌ Nandina (Nandina domestica)
Short video on Invasive Nandina
✅ Strawberry-bush (Euonymus americanus)
❌ Privets (Ligustrum spp.)
✅ Possum-haw (Viburnum nudum)
Other Non-Native Shrubs & Native Alternatives
❌ Asian Azaleas (Rhododendron spp.)
✅ Pinxterbloom Azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides)
❌ Asian Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
✅ Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)
❌ Boxwood (Buxus spp.)
✅ Inkberry (Ilex glabra)
❌ Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
✅ Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia)
❌ Japanese Euonymus (Euonymus japonicus)
✅ Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
❌ Yew (Taxus baccata)
✅ Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
Helpful Resources:
- Lists of invasive plants with techniques for management
- Series of short invasive plant videos
- Recorded presentation on “Invasive Plants & Native Alternatives” (control begins as 1:07:05)
- Recorded presentation on “Invasives in Your Garden”
Additional Native Shrubs
Shrubs with Interesting Flowers
✅ Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
✅ Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
✅ Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Shrubs with Nutritious Fruit
✅ Black Haw (Viburnum prunifolium)
✅ American Beauty-berry (Callicarpa americana)
Short video “Getting to Know Beautyberries”
✅ Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)
✅ Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)