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Invasive species are threats to California's natural landscapes

Raising awareness of these plants is a statewide effort

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Kathy Morrison PUBLISHED JUN 8, 2023

No flowers on it at the moment, but the matting tendency of Vinca major is obvious. Kathy Morrison

California gardeners with any experience likely have planted something that they've lived to regret. The tree that throws up suckers, the flowers that reseed too fully, the shrub that grows into a sticky, smelly mess. But at least these are confined disasters, which could be (probably should be) "shovel pruned."

The really dangerous plants are ones so vigorous that they can spread from gardens into open landscapes, pushing out native plants and causing ecological damage.

The worst of these infamous species are on a Do Not Plant List. They include such disasters as pampas grass, water hyacinth and highway iceplant. These botanical thugs are receiving some extra attention during California Invasive Species Week, which runs through Sunday.

PlantRight.Org, the California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) and the California Native Plant Society have pushed hard to persuade nurseries to stop selling these plants to landscapers and home gardeners. Officially, 15 of them are "retired," each one a victory for the state's ecosystem, but that doesn't mean these plants aren't still out there: Scotch broom and blue gum eucalyptus, for example, are still evident around California -- and add to fire fuel loads, meaning they're dangerous near homes.

Check out the PlantRight current list as well as the retirees. The list includes alternatives to plant that resemble the thugs but are either native or much better behaved.

Meanwhile, I'm going to work harder to get rid of that periwinkle (Vinca major, not the cultivars), which some previous resident planted in my back garden. Such a pretty little plant, but really nasty when it gets near streams, apparently. Here's what PlantRight says:

"Because periwinkle grows rampant in many California backyards, new populations of this plant also commonly spread from locations where yard waste is dumped."

And this: eek! "Periwinkle is a fast-growing, competitive plant that forms dense mats of growth. These mats crowd out other plants and degrade animal habitat in infested areas. Riparian areas are especially susceptible to periwinkle, where the far-flung vines crowd out native vegetation. It is also a known host to the bacterium that causes Pierce's disease, which is a deadly disease to grapevines."

Oh, yeah, it's gotta go.

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Keywords:

plants invasive plants Sacramento gardening California Native Plant Society Cal-IPC PlantRight.org nurseries backyard gardens horticulture

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Garden checklist for week of Feb. 8

Dodge those raindrops and get things done! Your garden needs you.

* Start your spring (and summer) garden. Transplant or direct-seed several flowers, including snapdragon, candytuft, lilies, astilbe, larkspur, Shasta and painted daisies, stocks, bleeding heart and coral bells.

* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers, and strawberry and rhubarb roots. Transplant cabbage and its close cousins – broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts – as well as lettuce (both loose leaf and head).

* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.

* Plant artichokes, asparagus and horseradish from root divisions. Plant potatoes from tubers and onions from sets (small bulbs). The onions will sprout quickly and can be used as green onions in March.

* From seed, plant beets, chard, lettuce, mustard, peas, radishes and turnips.

* Annuals are showing up in nurseries, but wait until the weather warms up a bit before planting. Instead, set out flowering perennials such as columbine and delphinium.

* Plant summer-flowering bulbs including cannas, calla lilies and gladiolus.

* This is the last chance to spray fruit trees before they bloom. Treat peach and nectarine trees with copper-based fungicide. Spray apricot trees at bud swell to prevent brown rot. Apply horticultural oil to control scale, mites and aphids on fruit trees soon after a rain. But remember: Oils need at least 24 hours to dry to be effective. Don’t spray during foggy weather or when rain is forecast.

* Feed spring-blooming shrubs and fall-planted perennials with slow-release fertilizer. Feed mature trees and shrubs after spring growth starts.

* Remove aphids from blooming bulbs with a strong spray of water or insecticidal soap.

* Fertilize strawberries and asparagus.

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