Support Biodiversity
Choose native-friendly ornamental plants instead of invasive species.
The plants listed here are similar both in appearance and in cultural requirements to the invasive plants they can replace. Thy may be native or not but are not considered invasive.
The alternatives listed here are just a few of the possibilities. They are hardy in much of New York, but check both your hardiness zone and your site’s conditions. Many of these alternatives are readily available at local nurseries. Seek additional advice at your local extension office and through Cornell’s searchable Woody Plants Database.
Please see the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) regulations and the complete list of prohibited and regulated species. Check local laws, as some NY municipalities have further restrictions on invasive species.
Alternatives to NYS Invasive Prohibited Plants
Most of the prohibited plants on the NYS DEC prohibited plant list (pdf) are considered weeds. Our list focuses on prohibited and regulated plants that have ornamental characteristics and are sometimes cultivated.
Note
* Native to the United States
** Native to New York State (hybrids and cultivars of native species included)
Prohibited Aquatics
Invasive: Yellow Flag Iris, Iris pseudacorus
Alternative Plants
- White Turtlehead**, Chelone glabra
- Japanese Iris, Iris ensata
- Louisiana Irises*, Iris spp.
- Blueflag Iris**, Iris versicolor
- Cardinal flower**, Lobelia cardinalis
Prohibited Invasive Vines
Invasive: Porcelain Berry, Ampelopsis brevipedunculata
Alternative Plants
- Dutchman’s Pipe**, Aristolochia macrophylla
- Trumpet Honeysuckle**, Lonicera sempervirens
- American Bittersweet**, Celastrus scandens
- Trumpetcreeper**, Campsis radicans (Aggressive spreader)
- Fox Grape**, Vitis labrusca
Invasive: Oriental Bittersweet, Celastrus orbiculatus
Alternative Plants
- Dutchman’s Pipe**, Aristolochia macrophylla
- Trumpet Honeysuckle**, Lonicera sempervirens
- American Bittersweet**, Celastrus scandens
- Trumpetcreeper**, Campsis radicans (Aggressive spreader)
- Fox Grape**, Vitis labrusca
Invasive: Japanese Honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica
Alternative Plants
- Dutchman’s Pipe**, Aristolochia macrophylla
- Trumpet Honeysuckle**, Lonicera sempervirens
- American Bittersweet**, Celastrus scandens
- Trumpetcreeper**, Campsis radicans (Aggressive spreader)
- Fox Grape**, Vitis labrusca
Prohibited Invasive Trees
Invasive: Japanese Angelica Tree, Aralia elata
Alternatives
- Pagoda Dogwood**, Cornus alternifolia (Canker disease is a problem in Eastern NY)
- Witch Hazel**, Hamamelis virginiana
- Staghorn Sumac**, Rhus typhina ‘Dissecta’ (Cutleaf cultivar, will spread)
Invasive: Amur Cork Tree, Phellodendron amurense
Alternatives
- Honeylocust*, Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis
- Kentucky Coffeetree**, Gymnocladus dioicus
- Japanese Pagoda Tree, Styphnolobium japonicum
- Hackberry**, Celtis occidentalis
Prohibited Invasive Herbaceous Plants
Invasive: Garden and Purple Loosestrifes, Lysmachia vulgaris, Lythrum salicaria
Alternatives
- Fireweed**, Chamerion angustifolium
- Meadowsweet*, Filipendula purpurea, F. rubra
- Blazing Star*, Liatris spicata
- Cardinal flower**, Lobelia cardinalis
- Obedient Plant**, Physostegia virginiana
- Perennial Sage, Salvia nemorosa (S. x superba; S. x sylvestris)
- False Indigo, Baptisia spp. (blue, yellow, and white varieties; many are not native)
Prohibited Invasive Shrubs
Invasive: Japanese Barberry, Berberis thunbergi
Alternatives to Japanese Barberry
For dwarf purple cultivars of B. thunbergii:
- Old Fashioned Weigela, Weigela florida (Dwarf purple cultivars)
For standard purple cultivars of B. thunbergii:
- Smokebush, Cotinus coggygria (Purple cultivars)
- Eastern Ninebark**, Physocarpus opulifolius (Purple cultivars)
- Weigela, Weigela florida (Standard purple cultivars)
For yellow or gold cultivars of B. thunbergii:
- Eastern Ninebark**, Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Dart’s Gold’
- Old Fashioned Weigela, Weigela florida (Yellow cultivars)
For green cultivars of B. thunbergii:
- Spicebush**, Lindera benzoin
- Bush Cinquefoil**, Dasifora fruticosa
- Fragrant Sumac**, Rhus aromatica (Dwarf cultivars)
- Virginia Rose**, Rosa virginiana
- Weigela, Weigela florida
Invasive: Autumn Olive, Elaeagnus umbellata
Alternatives
- Eastern Baccharis**, Baccharis halimifolia
- American smoketree*, Cotinus obovatus
- Northern Bayberry**, Morella pensylvanica
- Serviceberry**, Amelanchier canadensis
Invasive: Border Privet, Ligustrum obtusifolium
Alternatives to Border Privet, Ligustrum obtusifolium
- Boxwood, Buxus sp.
- Holly, Ilex spp. *(some species native to U.S.)
- Yew, Taxus spp. (T. canadensis native to NY; check hardiness zones) All species deer susceptible
- American arborvitae**, Thuja occidentalis (Note: deer susceptible)
- Black chokeberry**, Aronia melanocarpa
Invasive: Shrub Honeysuckle
- Fly, Lonicera x bella
- Amur, L. maackii
- Morrow’s, L. morrowii
- Tartarian, L. tartarica
Alternatives to Shrub Honeysuckle
- Beautyberry*, Callicarpa americana
- Buttonbush**, Cephalanthus occidentalis
- White Meadowsweet**, Spiraea alba
- Nippon or Vanhoutte Spirea, Spiraea nipponica
- Red Osier Dogwood**, Cornus sericea
Alternatives to NY State Regulated Invasive Plants
Note
* Native to the United States
** Native to New York State (hybrids and cultivars of native species included)
Regulated Trees
Invasive: Norway Maple, Acer platanoides
Alternatives
- Freeman Maple**, Acer x freemanii
- Sugar Maple**, Acer saccharum
- London Planetree, Platunus x acerfolia
- Basswood**, Tilia americana
For red cultivars of A. platanoides including ‘Crimson King’ consider purple but smaller trees:
- Eastern Redbud*, Cercis canadensis (Purple cultivars)
- Crabapple, Malus spp. ‘Royal Raindrops’
For additional information on appropriate tree selection visit the Urban Horticulture Institute. Refer to the site assessment checklist.
- Honeylocust*, Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis
- Hickories**, Carya cordiformis, C. ovata
- Yellowwood**, Cladrastis kentukea
- Kentucky Coffeetree**, Gymnocladus dioicus
Regulated Vines
Invasive: Sweet Autumn Clematis or Japanese Virgin’s Bower, Clematis terniflora
Alternatives
- Groundnut**, Apios americana
- Virgin’s Bower**, Clematis virginiana
- Climbing Hydrangea, Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris
Regulated Shrubs
Invasive: Winged Euonymus or Burning Bush, Euonymus alatus
Alternatives
- Red**or Black** Chokeberry, Aronia arbutifolia, Aronia melanocarpa
- Gray Dogwood**, Cornus racemosa
- Dwarf*, Hybrid*, or Large* Fothergilla, Fothergilla gardenii, F. x intermedia, F. major
- Witherod Viburnum**, Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides
- Blueberry**, Vaccinium corymbosum (in sites with acid soil)
- Ozark Witch Hazel, Hamamelis vernalis ‘Kohankie Red’
Invasive: Wintercreeper Euonymus, Euonymus fortunei
Alternatives
- Bearberry**, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
- Sweetfern**, Comptonia peregrina
- Bearberry Cotoneaster, Cotoneaster dammeri
- Allegheny Spurge**, Pachysandra procumbens
- Wild Blue Phlox**, Phlox divaricata (does not tolerate dry sites)
- Moss Phlox**, Phlox subulata
Regulated Herbaceous Plants
Invasive: Chinese (Japanese) Silver Grass or Maiden Grass, Miscanthus sinensis
Alternatives
- Big Bluestem**, Andropogon gerardi
- Feather Reed Grass, Calamagrostis x acutiflora
- Korean Feather Reed Grass, Calamagrostis brachytricha
- Bottlebrush grass**, Elymus hystrix
- Switch Grass**, Panicum virgatum & cultivars
- Indian grass**, Sorghastrum nutans
Authors: Brian Eshenaur, New York State Integrated Pest Management Program, Cornell University, nysipm.cornell.edu, and Sharon Bachman, New York Invasive Species Outreach Program, nyis.info, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Erie County.
Reviewed by: Nina Bassuk, Cornell University Horticulture Section, and Jim Engel, White Oak Nursery, whiteoaknursery.biz.
Produced January 2015. Last updated July 2017.
Adapted from: Alternatives to Invasive Plants, A Sustainable Solution for Long Island Horticulture. Produced by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. Project Leader: Alexis Alvey 2009, revised 2012.
USDA PLANTS database is the source for the native status of the plants in this publication.
Questions and comments on this resource are welcome. Please contact Brian Eshenaur at bce1 [at] cornell.edu (subject: Alternatives%20to%20Invasive%20Plants) (bce1[at]cornell[dot]edu.)
Brian Eshenaur
- (585) 753-2561
- bce1 [at] cornell.edu