6 Pretty but Problematic Perennials

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Lily-of-the-Valley

Yeah, I know, this one is a classic garden plant beloved for its sweetly scented, white, bell-like flowers in early spring and ability to thrive in dry shade where not much else will grow. But I've come to really dislike lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis) because, a year or two after planting, it starts to spread like wild, choking out nearby plants. Once it's established, reining in this aggressive spreader requires relentless vigilance.

Plant This Instead: Foamflower (Tiarella spp.) is a native plant that also can grow in shady spots but won't take over the garden. Though not fragrant, its frothy spring flowers attract pollinators, and some varieties offer interesting foliage.

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Perennial Bachelor's Button

A catalog description focused on a parade of spring and summer flowers and easy care can beguile those who have never grown perennial bachelor's button (Centauria spp). But it has a hyper-reseeding nature you'll find much less appealing. The first year you'll have one clump of it and the next year your garden is inundated with 15 clumps. Beware, perennial bachelor's button also goes by names like mountain bluet, corn flower, and basket flower, but all are bad news.

Plant This Instead: For early summer color, plant well-behaved, pollinator favorite penstemon instead of perennial bachelor's button. This plant comes in lots of different varieties, including those with vibrant purple and blue flowers if that's the look you're after.

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Chameleon Plant

Heart-shape leaves decorated with splashes of white, green, pink, and yellow easily dazzle those unfamiliar with chameleon plant (Houttuynia cordata 'Chameleon'). But that admiration will quickly turn to dismay when this vigorous perennial begins spreading everywhere. Plus, once it's sunk its tenacious roots into your garden, it's nearly impossible to get rid of. Even herbicides don't slow it down much so please don't fall for its cute, colorful leaves if you see it in the garden center.

Plant This Instead: There are many other well-behaved groundcover plants like creeping thyme or barrenwort that won't give you the hassle that chameleon plant will.

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False Sunflower

Don't be fooled by false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides). Its garden behavior is nothing like true members of the sunflower family. False sunflower spreads aggressively by underground roots to form large colonies of plants. It will grow right over and through nearby perennials and shrubs, making it especially tough to evict without harming the plants it has engulfed.

Plant This Instead: Consider growing perennial sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius) for similar pollinator-friendly flowers on plants that aren't bent on taking over the world.

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Purple Loosestrife

This perennial has a rap sheet. It's listed as a noxious weed in many states because it overtakes wetlands and crowds out native species. Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is quickly recognizable, thanks to its upright purple flower spikes that bloom from midsummer through fall. Although it's banned from sale in many states, it still makes its way into gardens. Uninformed friends sometimes offer a clump or two from their garden. This is one gift to refuse. And then kindly fill in your friend on its invasive nature.

Plant This Instead: For a long-lasting punch of purple in the garden, plant native purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) or blazing star (Liatris spicata) instead of purple loosestrife.

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Mint

This perennial herb has wonderfully fragrant and flavorful leaves. But once you plant mint (Mentha spp.) in your garden, you're likely to have it around forever. It can regenerate from the smallest bits of root or stem left behind if you try to dig it out. Plus it will reseed itself everywhere if you allow it to flower.

Plant This Instead: Lesser calamint (Calamintha nepeta) is a perennial in the mint family that offers fragrant foliage. However, it doesn't spread aggressively, it holds up well through heat and drought, and its prolific flowers attract an array of pollinators.