{"id":383033,"date":"2026-04-16T20:25:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T20:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/383033\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T20:25:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T20:25:26","slug":"why-invasive-plants-can-harm-your-garden-and-what-you-can-grow-instead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/383033\/","title":{"rendered":"Why invasive plants can harm your garden and what you can grow instead"},"content":{"rendered":"

The colourful blooms of agapanthus, morning glory, gazania and foxglove might fill your garden plot with vibrancy and charm, but they also have the potential to quickly turn into your worst enemy.<\/p>\n

In certain states, these plants are considered weeds.<\/p>\n

Beyond spreading across your patch, they are a much bigger environmental problem than many home gardeners realise, says Carol Booth, policy director at the Invasive Species Council.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Carol Booth says escaped garden plants threaten Australia’s unique fauna and flora. (Supplied: Invasive Species Council)<\/p>\n

“Australia has a massive weed problem, and it’s been estimated that three-quarters come from escaped garden plants,” she says.<\/p>\n

As Dr Booth explains, escaped garden plants not only invade bushlands<\/a> and riparian areas along creeks and rivers, but also outcompete local plants and destroy native wildlife habitat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Gazanias are one of the invasive plants causing havoc to agricultural land and native vegetation in Australia. (ABC News: Jessica Schremmer)<\/p>\n

So how can you plant a sustainable, environmentally friendly garden that won’t cause you future headaches?<\/p>\n

This is what horticulture experts recommend.<\/p>\n

How to know what to plant<\/p>\n

A major hurdle to limiting the spread of invasive plants in Australia is the lack of national regulation in the nursery sector<\/a>, Dr Booth says.<\/p>\n

“It’s pretty crazy that the government relies on home gardeners to do the research necessary to make wise decision about what to plant,” she says.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Many plants are considered environmental weeds in Australia but can be sold legally in nurseries. (Pexels: cottonbro studio<\/a>\/ CC BY-ND2.0<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The Australian government has identified 32 weeds of national significance,<\/a> which are generally prohibited to sell, distribute or grow.<\/p>\n

But there are thousands of other weeds in Australia which aren’t illegal to sell or grow. It just depends on where you live.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Horticulturalist Marg Allan works at the Victorian Indigenous Nurseries Co-op (VINC) in Melbourne\/Naarm.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Marg Allan and Nick Nosek highlight how home gardeners play an important role in supporting their local ecosystem. (ABC News: Jessica Schremmer)<\/p>\n

She says most invasive plants which become garden escapees are chosen because they are hardy, drought-tolerant and quick growing.<\/p>\n

“Agapanthus is a favourite nasty,” she says.<\/p>\n

“It does look pretty en masse up your driveway, but it’s known especially in wetter areas like the Mornington Peninsula to escape from people’s properties.”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Agapanthus can spread easily through seed dispersal and dumping garden waste. (ABC News: Jessica Schremmer)<\/p>\n

Ms Allan recommends checking your local council’s weed list, Gardens for Wildlife programs and speaking to nursery staff.<\/p>\n

“It’s an exciting opportunity for people to connect with nature and learn about their local area,” says horticulturalist Nick Nosek, who works alongside Ms Allan at VINC.<\/p>\n

“Home gardeners have an important role in supporting local insect and wildlife,” he says.<\/p>\n

Other resources include the Grow Me Instead<\/a> database or state initiatives such as Gardening Responsibly<\/a>, Dr Booth says.<\/p>\n

Here’s what she recommends you grow instead of the more popular invasive plants:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Invasive plants\/ environmental weeds (in some states)Recommended plants to grow insteadAgapanthusblue flax lilies (Dianella species)Foxglovesnapdragons, delphiniums, white correaMorning glory \/ English ivypurple coral pea, wonga vine, native clematis speciesGazaniapaper daisiesMother-in-law’s tongueLomandra species, flax lily speciesInvasive plants impact your garden<\/p>\n

While invasive plants are a threat to Australia’s unique environment and biodiversity, they can also damage your backyard or apartment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“If their roots are highly invasive, they might invade your sewerage pipes or get into the foundations. Certainly bamboos are known to do that,” Dr Booth says.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Jela Ivankovic-Waters says home gardens and public green spaces need to be seen as a connected living system. (Supplied: The University of Melbourne)<\/p>\n

University of Melbourne lecturer of urban horticulture Dr Jela Ivankovic-Waters says invasive plants outcompete other plants for resources like water, nutrients and light. In some instances, they kill off other species.<\/p>\n

Using climbing plants as an example, she explains how they utilise their small tendrils to hook onto and wrap themselves around a fence, stem or branch of another plant, spreading quickly.<\/p>\n

\"Morning<\/p>\n

Morning Glory Ipomoea is an invasive plant originating from Central and South America. (ABC News: Jessica Schremmer)<\/p>\n

“Morning glory (Ipomoea), for instance, has a lot of problems shading out light, choking and suffocating plants that might be growing underneath it,” she says.<\/p>\n

It’s one of the reasons Dr Ivankovic-Waters says growing native plants shouldn’t be seen as an alternative but rather the optimal choice.<\/p>\n

How to plant a sustainable garden<\/p>\n

Growing native and indigenous plants in your backyard benefits local wildlife, biodiversity, the environment and even your hip pocket.<\/p>\n

Many species require less water<\/a> and some no fertilisers or pesticides, which means there are less costs involved.<\/p>\n

Fiona Cross, horticulturalist at Nillumbik Shire’s Edendale nursery in Melbourne’s north-east, says it’s also important to understand the difference between native and indigenous plants.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Fiona Cross says growing indigenous plants benefits the environment and wildlife. (ABC News: Jessica Schermmer)<\/p>\n

While native plants can be from anywhere in Australia, indigenous plants are naturally found in a local area.<\/p>\n

“We grow plants that are found in the wild in the bush in Nillumbik, so they’ll be more suited to the area and often less likely to be invasive,” she says, adding that native plants can also be invasive in the wrong environment.<\/p>\n

Indigenous plants also adapt well to local soils and climate conditions, while enhancing wildlife corridors, she says.<\/p>\n

“Having a diverse range of indigenous plants can attract a whole range of different insects, lizards and animals to your garden.”<\/p>\n

Ms Allan says whether you’re growing plants in pots in an apartment or a home garden, there are various indigenous species that benefit the ecosystem.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Native and indigenous plants attract pollinators and other animals important for the ecosystem. (Supplied: Shane Reid)<\/p>\n

Golden everlasting daisies are a plant that brightens up a balcony and attracts pollinators, she says.<\/p>\n

“Smaller flowers that attract bees, moths and butterflies are important ecologically.”<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water says the Australian government recognises the serious threat posed by invasive plants, including escaped garden plants, to the nation’s unique native plants and animals.<\/p>\n

The government is developing a threat abatement plan in collaboration with state and territory governments.<\/p>\n

“It will provide a national framework to reduce the impact of these weeds on native species and ecosystems,” they say in a statement.<\/p>\n

“The plan will set out a range of tools to address the threat, which may include regulation.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The colourful blooms of agapanthus, morning glory, gazania and foxglove might fill your garden plot with vibrancy and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":383034,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[198938,198940,273,33548,198937,29190,198944,198941,198942,198936,198939,7384,111,139,69,138181,147,198943,406],"class_list":{"0":"post-383033","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-agapanthus","9":"tag-english-ivy","10":"tag-environment","11":"tag-foxglove","12":"tag-garden-plant-escapees","13":"tag-gardening","14":"tag-gardening-tips","15":"tag-gazania","16":"tag-indigenous-plants","17":"tag-invasive-garden-plants","18":"tag-morning-glory","19":"tag-native-plants","20":"tag-new-zealand","21":"tag-newzealand","22":"tag-nz","23":"tag-pollinators","24":"tag-science","25":"tag-sustainable-gardens","26":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=383033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383033\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/383034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=383033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=383033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=383033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}