West Virginia gardens have a few plants that act charming at first and then start spreading like they own the place. I’ve watched some of them take over beds in West Virginia yards faster than anyone expected.
They look nice for a moment, then crowd everything else out. These aggressive growers may end up restricted for causing so much trouble.
1. Japanese Barberry
Bright red berries might look pretty in fall, but Japanese Barberry causes major headaches for West Virginia gardeners and wildlife alike. Originally brought from Asia as an ornamental shrub, it now spreads rapidly through forests and yards, creating dense thickets where nothing else can grow.
Deer won’t eat it, which gives it an unfair advantage over native plants. The thorny branches also create perfect hiding spots for ticks that carry Lyme disease.
Many suburbs are looking at restrictions because it changes soil chemistry and makes areas less hospitable for beneficial native species that birds and insects need.
2. English Ivy
Climbing up trees and covering the ground, English Ivy might seem like an easy solution for bare spots in your yard. However, West Virginia officials warn that this aggressive vine smothers everything in its path.
When it climbs trees, the added weight can cause branches to break during storms. The thick carpet it creates on the ground prevents native wildflowers from sprouting and blocks sunlight from reaching the soil.
Birds sometimes nest in it, but the plant offers little nutritional value compared to native alternatives that produce berries and seeds wildlife actually prefer.
3. Burning Bush
Fall colors explode on Burning Bush with brilliant crimson leaves that catch everyone’s eye. Nurseries across West Virginia have sold thousands of these shrubs for decades, but scientists now know they spread aggressively into natural areas.
Birds eat the seeds and deposit them far from gardens, where new plants sprout and compete with native shrubs. The problem gets worse each year as more plants mature and produce seeds.
Native alternatives like Virginia Sweetspire offer similar autumn beauty without threatening forests and meadows that surround suburban neighborhoods throughout the Mountain State.
4. Bradford Pear
White blossoms blanket Bradford Pears each spring, creating stunning displays along West Virginia streets and in front yards. What homeowners don’t realize is that these trees have weak wood that splits easily during storms, causing property damage.
Even worse, they’ve escaped cultivation and now grow wild throughout the state. The trees crossbreed with other pear varieties, creating thorny offspring that form impenetrable thickets in fields and forests.
Municipal planners regret planting them decades ago and now recommend native flowering trees like Serviceberry instead for safer, more environmentally friendly landscaping.
5. Purple Loosestrife
Tall purple flower spikes make Purple Loosestrife look like a perfect addition to wet areas in West Virginia gardens. Unfortunately, a single plant produces millions of tiny seeds that spread through water, wind, and on animals’ fur.
Wetlands and stream banks become choked with these plants, pushing out cattails and other native vegetation that ducks and other waterfowl depend on for food and nesting.
The roots form dense mats that change how water flows through an area, affecting everything from fish habitat to flood control in suburban watersheds across the state.
6. Japanese Honeysuckle
Sweet fragrance fills the air when Japanese Honeysuckle blooms, tempting West Virginia homeowners to let it grow on fences and arbors. Kids love pulling the flowers to taste the nectar, but this vine becomes a monster once established.
It grows so fast that it can cover small trees in a single season, blocking sunlight and eventually smothering them completely. The weight of the vines pulls down branches and power lines.
Native honeysuckle varieties offer the same sweet smell without the aggressive growth habit that causes thousands of dollars in landscape damage each year.
7. Multiflora Rose
Clusters of small white flowers might fool you into thinking Multiflora Rose is harmless, but West Virginia farmers and homeowners know better. Government agencies actually encouraged planting it decades ago for erosion control and living fences.
That decision backfired spectacularly as the plant spread uncontrollably across pastures and forest edges. Sharp thorns make removal painful and difficult, while arching branches root wherever they touch the ground.
Each plant produces hundreds of small red fruits that birds scatter everywhere, creating new thorny patches that reduce property values and make outdoor activities unpleasant for suburban families.
8. Oriental Bittersweet
Colorful orange and yellow berries make Oriental Bittersweet popular for fall wreaths and decorations in West Virginia homes. Gardeners who plant it for those pretty berries soon discover they’ve made a costly mistake.
Twisting vines spiral around tree trunks with incredible strength, eventually strangling the bark and cutting off water flow. Mature vines can be as thick as your arm and nearly impossible to remove.
The plant grows over everything, forming heavy blankets that collapse fences and crush shrubs beneath their weight. Suburbs are considering bans because infestations spread rapidly from yard to yard.
9. Periwinkle
Charming purple-blue flowers and glossy green leaves make Periwinkle seem like an ideal ground cover for shady West Virginia yards. Garden centers sell it as a low-maintenance solution for difficult slopes and areas under trees.
Once planted, it spreads relentlessly through trailing stems that root at every leaf node. Native spring wildflowers like trilliums and bloodroot can’t compete with its thick mat of foliage.
Forests near suburban developments show declining wildflower diversity wherever Periwinkle has escaped from gardens. Removal requires digging up every tiny piece of stem, as fragments left behind quickly regrow.
10. Wintercreeper
Evergreen leaves and tolerance for deep shade convinced many West Virginia homeowners to plant Wintercreeper as ground cover or climbing decoration. Landscapers recommended it for decades because it stays green year-round and seemed well-behaved in gardens.
Reality proved different as the plant escaped into forests, climbing trees like English Ivy while simultaneously spreading across the forest floor. It forms such dense mats that tree seedlings can’t sprout.
Scientists studying invaded forests found dramatically fewer native plants and less diversity of insects and small animals. Suburban bans would prevent new plantings while encouraging removal of existing patches.
11. Kudzu
Known as the vine that ate the South, Kudzu has crept into West Virginia suburbs from neighboring states. Growth rates of up to a foot per day during summer allow it to swallow entire buildings, cars, and forests in green leafy blankets.
Brought from Japan for erosion control, it became America’s most notorious invasive plant. The massive vines crush whatever they grow on and block all sunlight to plants beneath.
Winter freezes in West Virginia slow it down compared to warmer states, but climate change may allow it to thrive and spread even more aggressively in coming decades.
12. Tree of Heaven
Fast growth and tropical-looking leaves might make Tree of Heaven seem attractive, but West Virginia suburbs are learning it’s actually a nightmare. A single tree produces thousands of wind-dispersed seeds that sprout everywhere, from cracks in sidewalks to gutters and flower beds.
Roots release chemicals that prevent other plants from growing nearby, giving it an unfair competitive advantage. It also hosts Spotted Lanternfly, a destructive insect pest.
Cutting it down makes the problem worse because roots send up dozens of new shoots. Complete removal requires careful treatment of stumps to prevent regrowth that damages foundations and pavement.