YOU’VE SEEN and heard the checklist of no-no crops that had been showy longtime nursery and backyard requirements, however have confirmed invasive and must go. Sure, we will yank out the barberry and butterfly bush and the remainder of the lengthy checklist—and may. However then what? We have to know what to plant as an alternative.
A brand new guide known as “Plant This, Not That” by Elise Howard establishes some fundamental ideas for choosing and utilizing native crops, together with particular examples of substitutions for crops you could be wanting to exchange, together with her solutions for gardens in varied areas across the nation.
In “Plant This, Not That” (affiliate hyperlink), Elise gives 200-ish examples of substitutions for crops which have confirmed troublesome or simply don’t do a lot within the title of supporting biodiversity, grouped helpfully by their panorama function for hedging, for groundcovers, for basis plantings close to the home, and so on.
Elise started studying about natives greater than 15 years in the past as a volunteer at Riverside Park in New York Metropolis. Lately, she lives in gardens within the metropolis and in Western Massachusetts.
Plus: Remark within the field close to the underside of the web page for an opportunity to win a duplicate of her new guide. (Writer picture, beneath, by Leo Chapman; redbud and robin above by Mackenzie Youthful.)
Learn alongside as you take heed to the March 16, 2026 version of my public-radio present and podcast utilizing the participant beneath. You may subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).
‘plant this, not that,’ with elise howard
Obtain file | Play in new window |
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Margaret Roach: Properly, your guide could be very properly titled: “Plant This, Not That.” As a result of we do must know not simply what to not do, proper? [Laughter.] We simply can’t be scolded.
Elise Howard: Yeah, precisely.
Margaret: Precisely. And I’ve been having fun with seeing your solutions and substitutions. What bought you began on the guide? Was it first-hand challenges that you just had for determining good substitutions, or what was the impetus?
Elise: The actual impetus was after I was gardening in Maine, and the gardening season there may be fairly brief. Typically my first perennials weren’t developing till late June. After which by September first, Mainers declare it fall. And I had a buddy who would assist me within the backyard, and she or he began to get into native crops with me, however she advised me that when she began to speak about native crops and native-plant gardening together with her Maine buddies, they had been very skeptical that there could be sufficient shade, that there could be sufficient vary of crops.
And I used to be deeply sympathetic to that as a result of if you’re in a local weather the place the gardening season is so brief, you wish to maximize the pleasures of the backyard, the blooms and the expansion and the scent. And that actually bought me began. I believed I wish to put collectively one thing to indicate those who that is attainable, which you could have all of the traditional fantastic thing about a backyard, a variety of native crops.
Margaret: O.Ok., so like Doug Tallamy, who’s been an inspiration to so many people, you don’t write about 100% native and eliminate the whole lot else. It isn’t kind of a black-or-white equation, however fairly you suggest a 70/30 type of purpose about making room—searching for alternatives in our landscapes to make room for extra range whereas in fact eliminating invasives. I imply, that’s understood. And within the guide, you give us some ideas to type of comply with. And I liked these; I feel there have been like 5 of them. I’m wondering if we might discuss these kind of bulleted pointers to keep in mind.
Elise: Yeah. Properly, I feel the factor is that lots of people are beginning with gardens which were made in a conventional means. And there are people who suppose we should be 100% native proper now. And positively our bugs and our birds are in disaster. However it’s not really easy to only redo your whole panorama in a single fell swoop. There’s time, there’s information and there’s cash. So I needed to interrupt it down for folks. And as you say, I kind of put it into these 5 fundamental ideas. And #1 is “a primarily native backyard.” [Above, flowering dogwood (Cornus florida); Mackenzie Younger photo.]
Margaret: Proper. To purpose for that, to purpose for that.
Elise: And spoiler: I might like to go for 100% native. I’m hoping to maneuver towards 100% native. However as an example, I just lately made a transfer from Maine to Western Massachusetts, and needed to begin over in a single sense as a result of I needed to put in an entire new septic system and I needed to cope with some regrading points. So I do have a giant clean patch, however alongside that patch, I’ve bought some very mature shrubs and backyard crops. And whoever owned this home earlier than me appeared to generally tend, the extra invasive, the higher. So I’m coping with goutweed, I’m coping with lilies of the valley. Loads of that must be eliminated, and it must be a gradual course of. I’ve bought woods, I’ve bought bittersweet, I’ve bought honeysuckle to cope with. And so it may be daunting. And so one of many issues to start out with is the concept each native plant you add is useful, and the extra the higher, proper?
Margaret: Sure, sure. And so then kind of your second precept, I feel it says to “think about wildlife and wonder,” sure?
Elise: Sure. So I hand around in plenty of native-plant boards, and I’ll see people saying, “O.Ok., however now bugs are consuming my shrubs,” or “I’ve observed all of those holes on the leaves of my plant.” So I feel one of many issues we’d like to remember is that we’re doing this and wonder is actually one of many essential issues this guide is about. However we’re doing it to assist not simply pollinators, though that’s actually necessary, but in addition to consider crops as host crops, particularly for caterpillars, the caterpillars which can be so basic to feeding the child birds, and you’ll simply kind of go up the chain from there. And native crops additionally present shelter. There’s the query of overwintering bugs and bees and wasps specifically utilizing the hole stems of crops. In order that’s the place the planting for wildlife is available in.
At a sure level, you wish to have a shift in your pondering. I feel one of many examples I exploit within the guide is if you begin to acknowledge the semi-circular indicators in your plant leaves that leafcutter bees have been there and getting enthusiastic about that.
Margaret: See, I all the time suppose that’s thrilling as a result of they’re so good, and so they’re all the time positioned the identical means. And it’s so distinctive. It’s like nothing else.
Elise: It’s really easy to acknowledge these. And I feel that the little, they’re known as by one million totally different names, however the moths that appear like hummingbirds. I’m not nice at insect recognition and I’m not nice at birds but, though I’m engaged on it, however there’s sure ones which can be simply so immediately recognizable and you’ll be taught to have a good time their presence in your backyard.
Margaret: So we’re fascinated with wildlife and wonder. After which I feel you discuss two issues which can be, I consider them nearly like associated, though perhaps they’re not technically. You discuss fascinated with layers, planting, making a backyard that has layers after which additionally about plant communities, concerning the relationship among the many plant decisions.
Elise: And I feel these are type of comparable in that the layers is all about recognizing that, once more, it’s all so interconnected. For those who’re going to assist wildlife, you need to take into consideration the cover, you need to take into consideration the shrub layer, and you need to take into consideration the bottom layer—forbs, after which the bottom layer, actually, what’s the dust and the leaves which can be on the dust as a result of there are birds that reside at every of these ranges, as an example. However as we’re now studying, I imply, “go away the leaves” is a large phrase that you just hear within the native-plant group, and there’s so many advantages to that. After which there’s the problem of cleanup. And once more, this goes into one other of the factors I make, however leaving stems at 6 inches or 18 inches as a result of animals are utilizing these stems all yr spherical, proper? [Above, sedges as the ground layer beneath a birch.]
Margaret: Proper.
Elise: In order that’s a part of the layering factor. After which plant communities, this may be so useful. The gardens we grew up with usually had a plant after which a body of mulch round it. And what we see with native crops … Oh, and likewise so many helps introduced in to maintain the taller crops standing up straight.
Margaret: Sure.
Elise: And I feel there are a pair issues about plant communities. First is the way in which crops are interconnected above the bottom after which additionally beneath the bottom. And it seems that for those who begin to consider what crops develop properly with one another on the easiest stage—the shy growers versus the assertive growers—and develop crops that go collectively, they are going to do this work themselves. The roots will assist what’s rising above the bottom, what’s rising above the bottom will assist the crops close by. And also you’ll begin to eradicate these little mulch frames. You’ll begin to consider crops as inexperienced mulch, and the way in which they’ll assist one another. After which additionally, in fact, there’s simply the basic situation of constructing positive that crops have comparable gentle and soil and moisture.
Margaret: So if we transfer on to some kind of issues of what ought to I plant as an alternative of what I’ve in some circumstances the place I wish to take away one thing, or one thing’s invasive, or regardless of the cause, I needed to ask about some which can be actual headliners of downside crops or simply crops that don’t actually add something. Like as an example, boxwood, which is ubiquitous in plenty of conventional backyard types that we had been speaking about, notably in sure areas of the nation, it doesn’t actually assist plenty of issues.
Elise: It doesn’t assist plenty of issues. And it’s additionally beginning, I assume in some areas, I’m simply discovering this out just lately, to be topic to a type of a blight so that-
Margaret: Oh no, completely, it has widespread a number of pests and ailments and so forth. Completely. So what will we do as an alternative of that; let’s discuss a few of these kind of much-used crops that we could wish to … So what could be some potentialities?
Elise: Properly, so it’s nice to start out with an evergreen one, as a result of that’s one of many tough issues about gardening is we introduced in plenty of these crops as a result of they’d particular options. And there aren’t that many nice evergreens, however there are some evergreens and there are additionally some crops the place, once more, you simply do some adjustment of the way you consider the way in which crops are working within the backyard. So Ilex glabra within the East and Northeast and Southeast is a good one. [Above, I. glabra; Wikimedia Commons photo.]
Margaret: So the inkberry.
Elise: That is an inkberry holly. It’s evergreen. It helps plenty of wildlife and mainly features in a really comparable solution to boxwood. It’s simply pruned. You may hold it in form, and it’s nearly as near a one-to-one substitute as you may get if you’re pondering this manner. After which there’s within the West Mahonia, which is Oregon grape holly, and likewise within the West, however somewhat additional inland, there’s Paxistima, which is Oregon boxwood. So once more, these are nice evergreen substitutes. A extra extensively native holly is Ilex verticillata, which is the winterberry holly. So this isn’t an evergreen plant, however what it’s is a plant that has lovely shiny pink berries all through the winter.
Margaret: Besides when all people eats them, which they do- [laughter].
Elise: Besides no matter eats them. So once more, O.Ok., you need to exit someday and all of your lovely shiny pink berries are gone and suppose, hooray, the overwintering birds have had a meal.
Margaret: Yeah. Everyone’s glad.
Elise: Precisely.
Margaret: Yeah, it’s good. It’s good. In order that’s the type of pondering that this guide is de facto attempting to encourage in us, is O.Ok., wait a minute, boxwood, to begin with, it wasn’t a lot of a contributor to biodiversity. Second of all, it’s plagued with plenty of points now. O.Ok., if we’re going to yank it, let’s not put extra boxwood in. And certainly, they’re engaged on illness resistant varieties and so forth, however nonetheless it’s not a giant performer biodiversity-wise. So what might we do as an alternative?
So then there’s a plant like barberry, Japanese barberry, Berberis thunbergii, and this can be a horrible invasive plant. And like most of the invasive woody crops that now we have discovered all all through our forests and so forth, they’ve fruits and so they’re moved by the birds. The birds we had been simply speaking about who wish to eat our winterberry holly; that’s one factor, to unfold winterberry holy seedlings round a local plant. It’s one other factor to be spreading, I feel you talked about bittersweet earlier than, invasives like Japanese barberry. They’re being unfold by birds consuming the fruit after which pooping the seeds round, and never good. So what about that? What are some potentialities as an alternative of that, do you suppose?
Elise: So one of many issues, or a few the issues that individuals like barberry for are the truth that they’ve nice shade and likewise that they’re a great kind of hedging shrub. So I really like ninebark.
Margaret: Physocarpus is a superb plant.
Elise: Precisely. And it’s known as ninebark for a fantastic cause, proper? It’s bought these layers of peeling bark. So it’s not evergreen, nevertheless it’s bought plenty of winter curiosity and that bark has plenty of difficult shade. After which it’s additionally bought lovely summer season blooms and good fall shade.
Margaret: And just like the barberry, you may get a kind of purple-leafed, maroon-leafed cultivar.
Elise: Properly, yeah, however the-
Margaret: And I do know that has limitations, however for those who’re caught, when you’ve got a design and say you’ve got an axial view and it lands at a purple shrub, what I imply? And also you’re going to tug out that barberry, however you wish to hold that high quality. O.Ok., so use ‘Diabolo,’ the ninebark … It’s rather a lot higher than having that barbery there anymore years is what I’m saying. I’m not saying we should always all use solely purple-leaf shrubs as a result of they’ve restricted herbivory attraction. It’s higher.
Elise: Proper. It does have that restricted herbivory attraction and usually talking, inexperienced leaves are higher than pink leaves. However yeah, I imply, if we’re going to speak about bringing folks round step by step, that’s a superb level. And one other factor to consider is now we have had this custom of single species hedges or foundations. So one other factor you are able to do is combine it up somewhat bit. So I’ll provide you with your red-leaf Physocarpus for those who’ll think about including in another shrubs, perhaps some Aronia or some shrubby St. John’s wort or some-
Margaret: The Hypericum, proper?
Elise: Proper, precisely. Or some Swida sericea, which can be known as Cornus sericia, the pink twig dogwood. Take into consideration mixing it up somewhat bit.
Margaret: I name these biohedges, and all the perimeter of my property is all that means. It’s combined woody planting, shrubby kind of combined woody plantings. And it’s nice. It creates nice ecotone or edge habitat to do this.
Elise: Yeah. And one other beauty of it’s let’s say one thing is available in and impacts a type of crops.
Margaret: You don’t lose the whole lot.
Elise: You don’t lose the whole lot. You’re not looking at a wall of brown till you may get to the actually overwhelming process of pulling out an entire hedge of shrubs.
Margaret: Proper. Properly, one of many worst hedge conditions round right here the place I reside within the Northeast is all people had privet, and privet is simply in every single place in all of the woods and alongside each roadside and no matter. So do you’ve got some particular … Would a number of the similar issues be good substitutes for that or …
Elise: A number of the similar issues, however there are just a few extra issues and this enables me to say one among my favourite crops. So the Morella, the myrtles, are a fantastic substitute for privet. There’s extra of Pennsylvania, which is a extra northern selection. After which there’s Morella cerifera within the South and Morella californica. Privets are a type of semi-evergreen crops, relying on how north you might be. And Morella is analogous. One of many issues I really like about Morella, which can be bayberry, is that the leaves have a scent that for me is like remedy [laughter]. So that you exit, you break a leaf, you odor it. That is what bayberry candles are constituted of. In order that’s a fantastic privet substitute. [Above, Morella pensylvanica; photo by Mackenzie Younger.]
A number of the ones now we have talked about already additionally make good substitutes. I feel Ilex glabra, for those who’re searching for one thing evergreen or the opposite hollies or Ilex verticillata, if evergreen just isn’t so necessary. Additionally, we will speak concerning the Amelanchier, that are … So I didn’t get to incorporate all of them within the guide due to house limitations, however Amelanchier is a giant genus that features plenty of totally different varieties. This can be a plant that has early blooms, it has berries. So it’s serving to the early pollinators, it’s serving to the birds all through the season. It’s extremely prunable and it has varieties that develop in a roughly comparable measurement and form as privet. And like privet, it’s a quick grower, some varieties are notably quick, which is without doubt one of the issues we’ve liked about privet for many years and a long time.
Margaret: So these are simply a number of the potentialities. I needed to ensure to ask about one of many ones that everyone doesn’t wish to eliminate [laughter], which is Buddleja, their butterfly bush.
Elise: I knew that was coming.
Margaret: You knew that was what I used to be going to ask. Sure. Sure. And this can be a difficult one, as a result of you’ve got it blooming and it’s so filled with bugs and all people appears so glad to be having fun with it, however it could’t assist the complete life cycle of any native insect, I don’t suppose.
Elise: Proper. It will probably’t assist the complete life cycle. Lots of people evaluate it to, “Yeah, bugs like it, nevertheless it’s like giving them Coca-Cola.” One other necessary factor about it’s if pollinators are flocking to Buddleja, they’re not pollinating the opposite native crops round, so these crops are perhaps having much less profitable copy. So there’s one plant that I feel is a superb substitute for Buddleja, and there are various varieties. So it’s native in a lot of areas. And that’s Eutrochium or what we name typically Joe-pye weed. And that Buddleja doesn’t keep inexperienced and it doesn’t even keep essentially reliably woody over the winter. So Eutrochium is a perennial that dies again to the bottom, nevertheless it has equally spectacular blooms and it’s lined with pollinators.
I might simply say if it’s scent you’re searching for, by way of shrubs, there’s Clethra, and Itea. They’re each magnificently aromatic shrubs, two or three or 4, and also you stroll out your door into your backyard and instantly odor that candy perfume.
Margaret: So the Itea, in addition to the Clethra, each have perfume. I didn’t understand that. I don’t have Itea within the backyard.
Elise: Oh sure, sure.
Margaret: Oh, attention-grabbing.
Elise: And Clethra has good fall shade. Itea has spectacular fall shade, and there are some cultivars which were bred notably for scarlet fall shade. So that could be a plant that actually provides throughout many seasons.
After which I simply shortly wish to sneak in the truth that Asclepias varieties [above; photo by Mark Turner] are a superb substitute for Buddleja. And naturally, these are the crops that monarch butterflies specifically rely on. So milkweeds are, as they’re generally recognized, are a fantastic substitute for Buddleja.
Margaret: And we simply highlighted a really, only a few of, once more, 200-ish crops, greater than 200 which can be on this guide, “Plant This, Not That,” that you just’ve simply revealed. And so it’s just a few examples, and there’s heaps and much and much for all totally different areas within the nation. Simply within the final minute or so, you talked about a number of the tasks which can be going to go on in your backyard, some alternatives, so to talk. Is there something specifically that you just’re actually trying to make an area for? Any kind of prime of your checklist of your plant orders [laughter]?
Elise: Properly, all the time redbud [photo, top of page].
Margaret: Oh, attention-grabbing, so Cercis.
Elise: Cercis canadensis. As a result of this can be a plant that is without doubt one of the harbingers of spring. It blooms earlier than it leafs out. So it has these spectacular scarlet buds that flip into flowers on its branches, after which these heart-shaped leaves that simply make it completely lovely.
Margaret: They’re lovely.
Elise: Yeah. And you may’t mistake it for another plant. It may be single stemmed or multi-stemmed. In order that for me is all the time an enormous favourite.
Margaret: Oh, good. That’s a great one. And that’s a fantastic one, nearly like on the woodland edge, what I imply? It may be in plenty of totally different spots within the backyard.
Elise: Yeah, it’s an understory plant, so very tolerant.
Margaret: Yeah. Properly, Elise Howard, it’s enjoyable that you just did this and I really like the title, in fact, “Plant This, Not That.” And I hope I’ll converse to you once more, however congratulations and thanks for these concepts and 200 extra which can be within the guide.
enter to win a duplicate of ‘plant this, not that’
I’LL BUY A COPY of “Plant This, Not That” by Elise Howard for one fortunate reader. All you need to do to enter is reply this query within the feedback field beneath:
Is there some troublesome non-native you need to swap out this yr (or one perhaps that you just did final season)?
No reply, or feeling shy? Simply say one thing like “depend me in” and I’ll, however a reply is even higher. I’ll choose a random winner after entries shut at midnight Tuesday, March 23, 2026. Good luck to all.
(Disclosure: As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
want the podcast model of the present?
MY WEEKLY public-radio present, rated a “top-5 backyard podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper within the UK, started its seventeenth yr in March 2026. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station within the nation. Pay attention regionally within the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Jap, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the March 16, 2026 present utilizing the participant close to the highest of this transcript. You may subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).
