Regional Picks: Alternatives to Invasives—Mountain West

Invasive: Purple Loosestrife

( Lythrum salicaria )

1.Hummingbird Hyssop

Name:Agastache cana

USDA Hardiness Zones:5 to 9

size of it : Up to 3 foot improbable and 18 inch spacious

weather : Full sun ; well - drained stain

This tall , xeric perennial add a deep rose color to the garden in the heat of summertime . spike of tubelike heyday attract many varieties of hummingbird throughout summer , making this is a must - have plant . minimum maintenance is required . Do not cut hummingbird hyssop back in fall because leaving the foliage inviolate for wintertime allow it to catch leave-taking and other garden debris for insulating material , helping the plant survive .

Invasive: Dame’s Rocket

( Hesperus matronalis )

2. ‘David’s Lavender’ Tall Garden Phlox

Name:Phlox paniculata‘David’s Lavender’

Zones:4 to 8

Size:3 to 4 feet marvelous and 2 to 3 foundation wide

condition : Full sun to fond shade ; moist , fertile grunge

A sport of the popular ‘ David ’ phlox ( P. paniculata‘David ’ , Zones 4–8 ) , this cultivar has large , fragrant blooms . Here in the Mountain West , phlox generally blooms from other summer through other fall . While mold is not a serious issue in our dry Colorado climate , ‘ David ’s Lavender ’ is known for its mildew resistance . This plant is depleted criminal maintenance , likes to be mulch , and requires restrained moisture .

Invasive: Cyprus Spurge

( Euphorbia cyparissias )

3. Creeping Basket of Gold

Name:Alyssum montanum‘Mountain Gold’

Zones:4 to 9

Size:6 inch tall and up to 18 inches wide

crawl basket of amber is a harbinger of springtime here in the Mountain West . This ground cover is blanket in sensationalistic - gold bloom and is one of the earliest plants to blossom . Spring bulbs are a perfect complement . The only maintenance want is to shear off the flowers after flower , allow for behind gray - green foliation that provides interest and color for the sleep of the season .

Invasive: Salt Cedar

( Tamarix ramosissima )

4. Apache Plume

Name: Fallugia paradoxa

Size:3 to 5 feet tall and wide

A westerly native shrub , apache plume provide continual interest throughout the originate season . In fountain , small-scale white efflorescence seem and remain into summer . Shortly after , chance on feathery pinkish seed head constitute , give the works a plumy visual aspect . Its finely textured foliage is semi - evergreen , though invisible , in winter . This shrub is extremely drought large-minded and requires petty maintenance if not overwatered .

— Michelle Provaznik is film director of The Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins , Colorado .

photograph : # 1 ( invasive ) , Gary A. Monroe ; # 1 ( alternative ) , Michelle Gervais ; # 2 ( invasive ) , James L. Reveal , Smithsonian Institution , Dept . of Systematic Biology - Botany ; # 2 ( alternative ) # 3 ( alternative ) and # 4 ( alternative ) , www.millettephotomedia.com ; # 3 ( encroaching ) , William S. Justice , Smithsonian Institution , Dept . of Systematic Biology - Botany ; # 4 ( invasive ) , Steven Perkins

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A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo

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Regional Picks: Alternatives to Invasives - Midwest

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