Hort Notes: Massachusetts Prohibited Plants and Non-Invasive Alternatives

September 6, 2016

The 2016 drought in Massachusetts has caused damage to even established landscape plants. As plants need to be replaced this fall and in the coming year, it will be important to help customers understand that some plants in their landscapes are on the Massachusetts Prohibited Plants List and are no longer available for sale at nurseries and garden centers. Plants on the Prohibited Plants List are invasive in Massachusetts and are no longer permitted to be sold or grown in the state. Some of these are common landscape plants, and need to be replaced with non-invasive alternatives. It is important to keep in mind that this includes cultivars, varieties and hybrids of the prohibited plants and plants brought in from other states.

Plants that are determined to be invasive can have the following characteristics:

  • Few or no natural enemies (insects or diseases)
  • Grow and mature rapidly
  • Spread quickly
  • Can flower and set seed over a long period of time (generally produce a lot of seed)
  • Thrive in many conditions
  • Difficult to control
  • Outside of natural range
  • Likely to cause harm to the environment or economy
  • Invade natural habitats
  • Outcompete other plants for resources (light, water, nutrients, space)

The complete list of Massachusetts Prohibited Plants can be found at: https://www.mass.gov/massachusetts-prohibited-plant-list

There are many great non-invasive alternatives. The following are some of the common landscape plants that are now prohibited along with alternatives.

Prohibited Plant: Euonymus alatus Burning bush or Winged euonymus Large shrub generally planted for the red fall color. Adaptable to and tolerant of many conditions.
Alternatives: shrubs with red fall color
N Aronia arbutifolia chokeberry 6-10’H x 3-6’W; small white flowers in spring, glossy red fruit in late summer-fall
  Fothergilla major fothergilla 6-10’H x 5-9’W; white bottlebrush flowers in spring; yellow, orange and red fall color
  Fothergilla gardenia fothergilla 1.5-3’H x 2-4’W; white bottlebrush flowers in spring; yellow, orange and red fall color
  Enkianthus campanulatus redvein enkianthus 6-10’H x 4-6’W; light yellow-white bell shaped flowers with pink/red stripes; fall color can be red, orange, yellow, or purple
N Vaccinium corymbosum highbush blueberry 6-12’H x 8-12’W; white/pink flowers in spring; blueberries; red fall color
N Vibrunum opulus var. americanum American cranberrybush viburnum 8-12’H x 8-12’W; white lacecap flowers in spring; red berries in fall; purplish red fall color
N Itea virginica Virginia sweetspire 3-5’H x 3-5’W; fragrant white flower racemes in summer; red fall color
 
Prohibited Plant: Acer platanoides Norway maple Shade tree with yellow fall color. ‘Crimson King’ is a purple leaf cultivar.
Alternatives: Shade trees or trees with yellow fall color.
N Acer rubrum red maple 40-70’H x 30-50’W; red-orange (sometimes yellow) fall color
N Acer saccharum sugar maple 40-80H’ x 30-60’W; yellow-orange fall color
N Quercus rubra red oak 50-75’H x 50-75’W; brown-red fall color; acorns  
  Ginkgo biloba ginkgo; maidenhair tree 50-80’H x 30-40’W; fan shaped leaves; bright yellow fall color
  Tilia cordata littleleaf linden 50-70’H x 35-50’W; fragrant flowers attractive to bees
 
Purple Leaves: Trees that offer purple leaves as alternatives to ‘Crimson King’ Norway maple. Many alternatives are also cultivars
  Cercis canadensis redbud ‘Forest Pansy’ is a common purple-leaved cultivar
  Fagus sylvatica European beech Atropurpurea is the group of purple leaved cultivars; 50-60’H x 30-45’W
  Malus spp. crabapple size, leaf color, flowers, and fruit vary by cultivar; important to look for disease resistant cultivars
  Prunus cerasifera cherry plum purple leaved cultivars include ‘Krauter Vesuvius’, ‘Newport’, and ‘Thundercloud’; small growing ornamental trees
 
Prohibited Plant: Berberis thunbergii Japanese barberry Depending on cultivar can be planted for purple of yellow leaf color, red fall color, red berries in fall, form, or because of thorns.
Purple Leave Alternatives:
  Weigela florida cultivars weigela size varies by cultivar; spring blooms; purple leaved cultivars include ‘Wine and Roses’ and ‘Elvera’ (Midnight Wine)
  Physocarpus opulifolius cultivars ninebark size varies by cultivar; late spring – early summer blooms; purple leaved cultivars include ‘Summer Wine’ and ‘Diabolo’
Red fall color:
N Itea virginica Virginia sweetspire 3-5’H x 3-5’W; fragrant white flower racemes in summer; red fall color
N Vaccinium corymbosum highbush blueberry 6-12H’ x 8-12’W; white/pink flowers in spring; blueberries; red fall color
Red berries:
N Aronia arbutifolia chokeberry 6-10’H x 3-6’W; small white flowers in spring, red fall color
N Ilex verticillata winterberry 3-12’H x 3-12’W; deciduous holly; female plants have red berries in fall-winter
Form:
  Rhus aromatic ‘Grow-Low’ Grow-Low fragrant sumac 1.5-2’H x 6-8’W; spreading shrub with somewhat arching branches; orange-red fall color
  Potentilla fruticosa cinquefoil 2-4’H x 3-5’W; yellow flowers in summer; bushy mound
  Cotoneaster apiculatus cranberry cotoneaster 2-3’H x 3-6’W; mounding shrub with arching branches; red berries in late summer – winter; purple-red-bronze fall color
  Deutzia gracilis slender deutzia 2-5’H x 2-5’W; small fragrant white flowers in spring
Yellow foliage:
  Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Golden Mop’ Japanese falsecypress size varies by cultivar; golden yellow foliage; evergreen
  Weigela florida cultivars weigela size varies with cultivar; spring blooms; cultivars with yellow leaves include ‘Briant Rubidor’ and variegated ‘French Lace’
  Physocarpus opulifolius cultivars ninebark size varies with cultivar; late spring-early summer flowers; yellow leaved cultivar includes ‘Dart’s Gold’
Thorns:
  Rosa ‘Radrazz’ Knockout Knockout rose 3-4’H x 3-4’W; shrub rose with single red-pink flowers May to frost
 
Prohibited Plants: Lonicera maachii , Lonicera x bella , Lonicera morrowi, Lonicera tatarica Amur honeysuckle, Bell’s honeysuckle, Morrow’s honeysuckle, Tatarian honeysuckle Large shrubs with showy white and/or fragrant flowers, fast growth, or red fruit.
Alternatives:
  Deutzia spp. deutzia small-medium shrubs with small white fragrant flowers in spring
  Kolkwitzia amabilis beauty bush 6-10’H x 6-10’W; pink flowers in spring
  Philadephus spp. mockorange size depends on species and cultivar; fragrant white flowers in summer
  Spiraea x vanhoutteii Vanhoutte spirea 5-8’H x 7-10’W; white flowers in spring
N Amelanchier spp. serviceberry large shrub to small trees; white flowers in spring; purple-black berries; red-orange fall color
 
Prohibited Plant: Lonicera japonica Japanese honeysuckle Vine with fragrant flowers
Alternatives:
  Lonicera x heckrottii goldflame honeysuckle vine; pink/yellow flowers in summer; fragrant; red berries in fall
  Lonicera sempervirens trumpet honeysuckle vine; red/orange/yellow flowers in late spring; red berries in fall
 
Prohibited Plant: Elaeagnus umbellatus Autumn olive Large shrub with silver leaves. Red fruit in fall. Drought tolerant. White fragrant flowers.
Alternatives:
N Salix sericea silky willow 6-12’H; silvery leaves; yellow fall color
N Cornus sericea Redosier dogwood/red twig dogwood 6-9’ x 7-10’W; red stems; white flowers in spring, white-blue fruit; good fall color. Also yellow twigged cultivars
N Myrica pensylvanica bayberry 5-10’H x 5-10’W; grayish fruits; gray-green leaves
N Ilex verticillata winterberry 3-12’H x 3-12’W; deciduous holly; female plants have red berries in fall-winter
N Aronia arbutifolia red chokeberry 6-10’H x 3-6’W; small white flowers in spring, red fall color; red berries late summer-fall

N indicates Eastern North America native

Written by: Amanda Bayer, University of Massachusetts

Sources:

http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/special_features/NativeAlternatives.pdf

http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/InvasivesAlternatives.html

https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource001358_Rep1815.pdf

Topics: 
Commercial Horticulture