Many people believe that non-native species are just weedy or ugly plants, but many invasive perennials are extremely showy and were first introduced as landscaping ornamentals. Some states ban them, yet many are still available in garden stores. Invasive ground covers are particularly problematic because they are fast growing and spread quickly. They easily outcompete native species and smother every plant in an area, including everything from spring-blooming wildflowers to mature native trees.
Many invasive ground covers are vines that sprawl across the soil, forming dense mats of vegetation. Some also climb trees, reaching high into the canopy and shading out or strangling their hosts. You may think that plants smothering roadside forests aren’t your problem, but when something takes over your garden, you’ll be sorry. Once you have an invasive plant established in your yard, it is very difficult to get rid of it.
Save yourself a lot of future headaches by avoiding these 15 invasive ground covers. You may need to dig them out or simply avoid planting in the first place.
Beach Vitex
Its rapid spread makes it a serious threat.
 | botanical name Vitex rotundifolia |
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Beach vitex is a fast-growing invasive ground cover from Asia. Brought to the United States to protect sand dunes from erosion, it quickly spread out of control and outcompeted native beach vegetation. Thriving in sandy environments with full sun, vitex is very tolerant of salt spray. It poses the greatest threat to coastal areas and is noxious throughout the East Coast, from Florida to New York.
Also known as roundleaf chastetree, beach vitex is a woody, deciduous shrub. It can grow up to two feet tall but in its favored beach habitat, it’s more likely to grow as sprawling woody stems. This high-maintenance plant has showy purple flowers that bloom in spring.
Bishop’s Weed
This aggressive plant forms dense colonies and spreads rapidly.
| | botanical name Aegopodium podagraria |
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Bishop’s weed, also known as goutweed, is an aggressive European species. It thrives in partially sunny woodland habitats where it freely spreads by self-seeding and vigorous root stolons. Once established, it is very difficult to remove because any root pieces left in the ground can sprout into new plants.
Bishop’s weed is a member of the carrot family (Apiaceae) and has white-flowering umbels similar to other members of this family. These flat-topped clusters of tiny flowers bloom in the spring. The leafy stems can grow between one and three feet tall and form dense colonies that outcompete any neighboring vegetation.
Cogongrass
This grass forms dense stands, choking out natives.
| | botanical name Imperata cylindrica |
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Cogongrass, also known as Japanese blood grass, is native to Africa and Asia. Introduced to the United States in the early 1900s, it quickly spread throughout the Southeast and along the East Coast. Cogongrass spreads quickly by self-seeding and abundant rhizomes to create dense, impenetrable stands of vegetation, completely choking out native species.
There are many cultivars of this invasive grass species, and there’s some debate as to whether these cultivars are safe to grow. If you’re looking for an ornamental grass to add some diversity to your landscape, choose a species native to your region so you can enjoy a hardy native grass that will thrive in your landscape, benefit native wildlife, and prevent invasion in your garden or beyond.
Creeping Jenny
This low-growing perennial forms a dense mat of foliage.
| | botanical name Lysimachia nummularia |
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Creeping Jenny is a ground-hugging herbaceous perennial native to Europe and Asia. This perennial grows only about six inches tall but is a big threat to native vegetation. It prefers cooler climates with moist soil and plenty of sun. In ideal conditions, it can spread quickly to form a dense mat of leafy vegetation. This species is noxious throughout most of the Northeast.
Creeping Jenny has long prostrate stems with pairs of rounded, opposite leaves. This invasive ground cover doesn’t flower often, but when it does, its bright yellow primrose-like flowers bloom in mid-summer.
English Ivy
This hardy vine thrives in diverse conditions and grows rapidly.
| | botanical name Hedera helix |
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Perhaps one of the most easily recognized invasive ground covers, English ivy is commonly sold at garden centers despite its label as a noxious weed in both the Eastern and Western United States. English ivy develops thick, hairy stems and has glossy evergreen foliage. Its flowers are insignificant but yield small fruits eaten and spread by birds.
This fast-growing creeping and climbing vine is tolerant of full sun, full shade, and poor soil conditions. It covers the ground, scales buildings, and grows so thickly up trees that it smothers and kills them. This ivy easily blankets large areas and outcompetes surrounding vegetation. Some people develop itching or burning skin irritation after coming in contact with the sap.
Field Bindweed
Even though it has pretty flowers, it rapidly spreads and smothers vegetation.
| | botanical name Convolvulus arvensis |
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Field bindweed, also called field morning glory, has pretty flowers that look similar to morning glories of the genus Ipomea. While regular morning glories can become weedy, bindweed poses some serious threats to natural ecosystems. This invasive ground cover grows and spreads quickly, forming a blanket that smothers nearby vegetation.
Field bindweed is native to Africa, Asia, and Europe. It commonly grows in fields, farmlands, grasslands, roadsides, and disturbed areas. This weed is noxious in over half of the United States and should not be spread.
Ice Plant
With thick mats of foliage, it quickly spreads and dominates.
| | botanical name Carpobrotus edulis |
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If you’ve walked along coastal California’s beaches, you’ve probably seen ice plants. This hardy succulent thrives along sandy seasides, choking out native dune plant communities. It creeps along the ground to form a thick mat of vegetation. Any broken stem sections easily re-root, allowing it to colonize a broad area quickly.
Ice plant, sometimes called Hottentot fig, is commonly sold as an ornamental. In some landscapes, it poses no threat to the ecosystem. But if you live in a coastal environment, it’s best to avoid growing ice plants. When in doubt, choose native species instead.
Italian Arum
With dense foliage and striking berries, it quickly spreads.
| | botanical name Arum italicum |
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Italian arum is an herbaceous perennial endemic to Europe that is often sold as shade-tolerant ground cover. It loves woodlands with moist soil and easily naturalizes and spreads out of control. Italian arum is a vigorous grower capable of forming dense stands and outcompeting native woodland wildflowers.
Arum somewhat resembles the native Jack-in-the-pulpit. At a glance, it’s easy to confuse these species. The broad arrowhead-shaped leaves often have a pattern of light green veins on a dark green background. A single arum-like flower has a light green papery spathe surrounding a pale, creamy yellow spadix. The fruits are a dense cluster of bright red berries. The entire plant is toxic and should not be ingested.
Japanese Honeysuckle
Sweetly fragrant flowers climb and smother nearby plants.
| | botanical name Lonicera japonica |
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Japanese honeysuckle is a creeping woody vine endemic to Asia. This is a familiar invasive ground cover that commonly grows along fencerows, woodland edges, roadsides, and throughout urban and woodland settings. It sprawls along the ground until it finds something to cling to and then it climbs and twines up vertical supports, such as small trees and shrubs, smothering and choking its hosts.
Japanese honeysuckle has easily recognizable flowers. The white and creamy yellow tubular flowers bloom in late spring and early summer and have a sweet fragrance. The twining stems grow over 80 feet long! The stems are lined with pairs of opposite leaves. Young leaves have wavy edges while mature leaves are smooth-edged.
Kudzu
Fast-growing vines with fragrant purple flowers overtake everything.
| | botanical name Pueraria montana |
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This highly invasive vine originated in Asia. First introduced to the United States in the late 1800s, it was an ornamental landscaping plant also used for erosion control. However, kudzu is now considered a noxious weed throughout most of the Eastern and Central United States.
Kudzu vines are very aggressive, growing rapidly to a length of 100 feet or more. It develops a massive root system which is very difficult to eradicate once established. Kudzu has fragrant purple flowers in the spring and the fast-growing vines can blanket entire swaths of forest, killing trees, shrubs, and wildflowers in its path.
Sweet Autumn Clematis
White fall flowers are very recognizable.
| | botanical name Clematis terniflora |
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Sweet autumn clematis, also known as sweet autumn virgins bower, is native to Asia. Do not confuse this plant with the very similar native species, Woodbine (Clematis virginiana), from the Southeastern United States. Sweet autumn clematis is a fast-growing invasive Southern species that creates a dense blanket that blocks out the sunlight from any plants beneath.
Sweet autumn clematis is a semi-evergreen vine with beautiful, fragrant white flowers that bloom in the fall. Its many-branching vining stems trail along the ground until they meet vertical support, which they then begin to climb.
If you’d like to add a shade-tolerant clematis plant to your landscape, try the American Clematis virginiana or any one of the well-behaved clematis cultivars. Once you plant an invasive species, it is extremely difficult to get rid of it again once it starts to take over your garden.
Vinca
Purple spring blooms and glossy leaves make this plant easy to spot.
| | botanical name Vinca major and Vinca minor |
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Vinca, also called periwinkle, is a showy vining ground cover endemic to Europe and Asia. Both the greater periwinkle (Vinca major) and the common periwinkle (Vinca minor) are invasive species to avoid. These fast-growing vines invade homesites, woodlands, and disturbed areas. They spread quickly and re-root as they go, making them very difficult to control. Vinca creates a dense ground cover that chokes out low-growing native species.
Vinca is a fast-spreading ground cover with pairs of glossy, opposite leaves. The five-petaled purple flowers bloom in the spring, allowing you to easily recognize this plant. The leaves are evergreen or semi-evergreen, so you will be able to see vinca infestations in woodland sites and forest edges, even in the middle of winter.
White Inch Plant
A noxious weed in Florida, white inch plant dominates moist soils.
| | botanical name Tradescantia fluminensis |
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The white inch plant, also known as white-flowered spiderwort, is endemic to South America but listed as an invasive species in Florida. This ornamental ground cover was introduced as a decorative landscaping plant for stream bank stabilization because it loves moist soils. It thrives in shaded habitats and is a serious threat to local botanical communities. It grows quickly and outcompetes local species.
This heat-loving herbaceous perennial has thickened, glossy leaves. These semi-succulent leaves are evergreen and include some variegated cultivars. As the stems creep along the ground, they root wherever they touch moist soil. The three-petaled white flowers bloom periodically throughout the year in warm climates.
Winter Creeper
The evergreen foliage is poisonous to people and pets.
| | botanical name Euonymus fortunei |
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Winter creeper originated in Asia and came to the United States as an ornamental low-growing garden addition. It escaped cultivation and is now recognized as an invasive weedy plant in many Central and Eastern states. This vigorous vine creeps along the soil surface, outcompeting wildflowers and grasses. It also climbs trees and shrubs, clinging to their bark and smothering them with thick leaf cover.
Winter creeper has evergreen foliage and many-branching woody stems. When it climbs over other vegetation or small structures, it looks more like a shrub. The non-showy white flowers bloom in spring, followed by bright red berries. All parts of this plant are poisonous to people and pets.
Yellow Archangel
Showy yellow flowers and variegated leaves are recognizable.
| | botanical name Lamium galeobdolon |
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The yellow archangel, also known as golden dead nettle, is a rapidly spreading member of the mint family from Europe and the Middle East. It has ornamental foliage and flowers and has been used as a landscaping plant. It spreads quickly by seed, rhizomes, and creeping stems that root as they touch moist soil. As this plant escaped cultivation, it quickly spread to natural areas, particularly moist forests, where it outcompetes local vegetation.
Yellow archangel is easily recognized by its variegated silvery-green leaves. In late spring or early summer, it develops taller flowering stems with clusters of showy, hooded yellow flowers. This plant is of particular concern in the Pacific Northwest, but it has also developed naturalized populations in several other northern states.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ferns, alum root, and wild ginger are excellent native options. There are numerous beautiful native ground covers and well-behaved non-native species you can choose from.
- Ferns: While ferns aren’t vines, they make excellent ground covers for your woodland garden. Grow a couple of different fern species together for some splendidly showy foliage to fill in your shade garden.
- Alumroot – There are native species of alumroot (genus Heuchera). These plants form attractive leafy rosettes with dainty spring-blooming flowers. They spread to become slowly enlarging clumps but never get out of control.
- Wild Ginger – I have patches of wild ginger growing in my shade garden and love this plant. The Canadian wild ginger (Asarum canadense) is a vigorous, shade-loving ground cover that forms small colonies of heart-shaped leaves. The unique spring-blooming flowers are very secretive; you have to peek under the leaves to see them blooming at ground level.
- Thyme – Are you looking for a small ground cover for a sunny site? Try thyme! There are several varieties of thyme, such as English thyme, with its tiny leaves and pollinator-friendly flowers. These plants make a wonderful ground cover for borders and edges around your herb garden, vegetable garden, or flower garden.
Invasive plants get their name because they can quickly grow out of control and interfere with surrounding trees, shrubs, herbs, and flowers. If you already have some invasive plants, whether ornamental or not, your future gardening efforts will be considerably easier without them. It will take some time and dedicated effort to remove invasive grasses, vines, herbs, shrubs, and trees, but it can be done, and your garden will be much easier to manage without them.
There are many techniques you can use to remove invasive ground covers and other plants from your landscape. Each plant responds differently to different control mechanisms. Consult your local extension office to learn more about best practices for removing species invasive to your region.
You’ll sometimes need to remove seeds, stems, leaves, and roots to keep most invasive species from recurring, and you’ll probably need to keep watching the area to be sure they aren’t sprouting back. If you’re persistent, you can usually effectively remove invasive species.
- Pull them by hand: Wear gloves to protect your hands from potential thorns and chemical irritants that can cause itchy rashes. Hand pulling works best for minor infestations of small plants that have shallow roots.
- Dig them out: Use a shovel to dig out deeper roots. Be sure to check the locations of your underground utilities so you don’t accidentally dig into buried utility lines.
- Tarp them: Lay a silage tarp over the affected area to smother the invasives and prevent photosynthesis. You may need to lift it, water the area, and re-cover repeatedly to exhaust the root system.
- Pre-emergent herbicides: In the worst cases, you can resort to chemical control. A pre-emergent herbicide works for annual weeds, including weedy ground covers commonly found in lawns. This product is usually a powder or pellet that you apply to your ground in spring or fall to prevent seeds from sprouting. Take care to use personal protective equipment and follow package instructions.
If there’s a species of invasive ground cover or other species that you really want to grow, confining it to a container is a good way to help control its spread. The roots and stems will be contained by the pot, but watch out for seeds. If you allow your plants to set seed, they can still spread into your yard and beyond. Deadhead spent flowers to prevent seeds from developing.
