PLANTS TO REPLACE
Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
Fast-growing, deciduous tree with rank-smelling leaves
• Thrives as an early successional species in woods
• Female trees produce many fruits and it re-sprouts quickly from cut stumps
Recommended Alternatives:
* American hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)*-OH
* cucumber-tree magnolia (Magnolia acuminata)-OH
* pecan (Carya illinoinensis)-US
Fast-growing, deciduous tree with rank-smelling leaves
• Thrives as an early successional species in woods
• Female trees produce many fruits and it re-sprouts quickly from cut stumps
Recommended Alternatives:
* American hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)*-OH
* cucumber-tree magnolia (Magnolia acuminata)-OH
* pecan (Carya illinoinensis)-US
Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana)
• White flowers in early spring have a bad odor; glossy leaves which turn
red to purple in fall
• Prolific fruits change from green to brown, not edible
• Fast growth, often invading roadsides, fields, and meadows
Recommended Alternatives:
* serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.)*-US/OH
* black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica & CVs)*-OH
* willow oak (Quercus phellos)-US
• White flowers in early spring have a bad odor; glossy leaves which turn
red to purple in fall
• Prolific fruits change from green to brown, not edible
• Fast growth, often invading roadsides, fields, and meadows
Recommended Alternatives:
* serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.)*-US/OH
* black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica & CVs)*-OH
* willow oak (Quercus phellos)-US
Asian Bush Honeysuckles: Amur, Morrow, and Tatarian (Lonicera maackii, Lonicera morrowii, and Lonicera tatarica)
• Form dense populations in the understory of woods
• Leaf out early and hold leaves late in the fall
• Seeds from red berries are dispersed by birds and deer
Recommended Alternatives:
* bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora)*-US
* black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)-OH
* summersweet clethra (Clethra alnifolia & CVs)-US
* common winterberry (Ilex verticillata & CVs)*-OH
• Form dense populations in the understory of woods
• Leaf out early and hold leaves late in the fall
• Seeds from red berries are dispersed by birds and deer
Recommended Alternatives:
* bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora)*-US
* black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)-OH
* summersweet clethra (Clethra alnifolia & CVs)-US
* common winterberry (Ilex verticillata & CVs)*-OH
Autumn- and Russian-Olives (Elaeagnus umbellata, Elaeagnus angustifolia)
• Shrub, small tree with silvery leaves, thrives in poor soil
• Fruit is red (autumn-olive) or yellow (Russian), containing seeds with high viability
• Fragrant cream-colored or pale yellow flowers in spring
Recommended Alternatives:
* silky dogwood (Cornus amomum)-OH
* gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa)*-OH
* American hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)*-OH
• Shrub, small tree with silvery leaves, thrives in poor soil
• Fruit is red (autumn-olive) or yellow (Russian), containing seeds with high viability
• Fragrant cream-colored or pale yellow flowers in spring
Recommended Alternatives:
* silky dogwood (Cornus amomum)-OH
* gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa)*-OH
* American hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)*-OH
Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus or Rhamnus frangula)
• Small deciduous tree or large shrub that produces many fruits, turning
from red to black
• Forms dense colonies, particularly in wetlands and moist woods
• Cut-leaf forms are sold as cultivars
Recommended Alternatives:
* summersweet clethra (Clethra alnifolia & CVs)*-US
* buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)*-OH
* common winterberry (Ilex verticillata)*-OH
* cutleaf elderberry (Sambucus canadensis ‘Laciniata/Acutiloba’ )*-CV
• Small deciduous tree or large shrub that produces many fruits, turning
from red to black
• Forms dense colonies, particularly in wetlands and moist woods
• Cut-leaf forms are sold as cultivars
Recommended Alternatives:
* summersweet clethra (Clethra alnifolia & CVs)*-US
* buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)*-OH
* common winterberry (Ilex verticillata)*-OH
* cutleaf elderberry (Sambucus canadensis ‘Laciniata/Acutiloba’ )*-CV
Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
• Deciduous shrub or small tree with heavy fruit production
• Produces many seedlings and has vigorous sprouting
• Prefers more upland habitats than glossy buckthorn
Recommended Alternatives:
* black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)*-OH
* gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa)*-OH
* (native) bush-honeysuckles (Diervilla spp.)-US
* common witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)-OH
• Deciduous shrub or small tree with heavy fruit production
• Produces many seedlings and has vigorous sprouting
• Prefers more upland habitats than glossy buckthorn
Recommended Alternatives:
* black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)*-OH
* gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa)*-OH
* (native) bush-honeysuckles (Diervilla spp.)-US
* common witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)-OH
Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
• Spiny, deciduous shrub with cultivars that are available with green, yellow,
or purple foliage
• Leafs out early and spreads vegetatively as thickets in the understory of
woods
• Most cultivars produce fruit, which often contain viable seeds
Recommended Alternatives: for yellow and purple foliage
* fothergilla (Fothergilla spp.)-US
* Lemony LaceTM elderberry (Sambucus racemosa)*-CV
* Tor birchleaf spirea (Spiraea betulifolia 'Tor')*-CV
* sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)*-US
• Spiny, deciduous shrub with cultivars that are available with green, yellow,
or purple foliage
• Leafs out early and spreads vegetatively as thickets in the understory of
woods
• Most cultivars produce fruit, which often contain viable seeds
Recommended Alternatives: for yellow and purple foliage
* fothergilla (Fothergilla spp.)-US
* Lemony LaceTM elderberry (Sambucus racemosa)*-CV
* Tor birchleaf spirea (Spiraea betulifolia 'Tor')*-CV
* sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)*-US
Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
• Semi-evergreen, sprawling woody vine that climbs over other vegetation,
fragrant flowers
• Spreads by trailing branches and produces black berries
• Often blankets the ground in woods
Recommended Alternatives:
* crossvine (Bignonia capreolata)*-OH
* woodbine honeysuckle (Lonicera
* periclymenum)-NN
* trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)-US
• Semi-evergreen, sprawling woody vine that climbs over other vegetation,
fragrant flowers
• Spreads by trailing branches and produces black berries
• Often blankets the ground in woods
Recommended Alternatives:
* crossvine (Bignonia capreolata)*-OH
* woodbine honeysuckle (Lonicera
* periclymenum)-NN
* trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)-US
Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)
• Deciduous, twining woody vine that climbs and covers trees and other
vegetation
• Orange-red fruits have been used in craft arrangements
• Often hybridizes with native American bittersweet
(Be sure to identify oriental bittersweet correctly before removing it, as American bittersweet is similar. Visit the OIPC website at www.oipc.info for more information on identification.)
Recommended Alternatives:
* woolly pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa)-US
* Winter Gold winterberry (Ilex verticillata)*-CV
* trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)-US
• Deciduous, twining woody vine that climbs and covers trees and other
vegetation
• Orange-red fruits have been used in craft arrangements
• Often hybridizes with native American bittersweet
(Be sure to identify oriental bittersweet correctly before removing it, as American bittersweet is similar. Visit the OIPC website at www.oipc.info for more information on identification.)
Recommended Alternatives:
* woolly pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa)-US
* Winter Gold winterberry (Ilex verticillata)*-CV
* trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)-US
Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei)
• Evergreen, woody vine with aerial roots, allowing it to climb into tree
canopies
• Forms carpets on the ground in woods, and can overtop and shade out trees
• Waxy leaves make it difficult to control, even with herbicide application
Recommended Alternatives:
* Allegheny pachysandra (Pachysandra procumbens)*-US
* Canadian wild-ginger (Asarum canadense)-OH
* Gro-low fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica 'Gro-low')-CV
• Evergreen, woody vine with aerial roots, allowing it to climb into tree
canopies
• Forms carpets on the ground in woods, and can overtop and shade out trees
• Waxy leaves make it difficult to control, even with herbicide application
Recommended Alternatives:
* Allegheny pachysandra (Pachysandra procumbens)*-US
* Canadian wild-ginger (Asarum canadense)-OH
* Gro-low fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica 'Gro-low')-CV
Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
• Herbaceous perennial with enormous seed production
• Forms dense populations in wetlands, displacing nearly all native plants
• Cultivars marked as "sterile" often set seed when in proximity to invasive L.
salicaria populations
Recommended Alternatives:
* swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)-OH
* spiked blazing-star (Liatris spicata)*-OH
* Carolina phlox (Phlox carolina)-US
• Herbaceous perennial with enormous seed production
• Forms dense populations in wetlands, displacing nearly all native plants
• Cultivars marked as "sterile" often set seed when in proximity to invasive L.
salicaria populations
Recommended Alternatives:
* swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)-OH
* spiked blazing-star (Liatris spicata)*-OH
* Carolina phlox (Phlox carolina)-US
Chinese Silver Grass (Miscanthus sinensis)
• Tall (3-8’), perennial grass with large plume-like flower clusters
• Aggressively spreads into grasslands and open areas
• Many cultivars on the market are fertile, which may produce abundant
seedlings
Recommended Alternatives:
* big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)-OH
* switch grass (Panicum virgatum)*-OH
* Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans)-OH
• Tall (3-8’), perennial grass with large plume-like flower clusters
• Aggressively spreads into grasslands and open areas
• Many cultivars on the market are fertile, which may produce abundant
seedlings
Recommended Alternatives:
* big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)-OH
* switch grass (Panicum virgatum)*-OH
* Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans)-OH