Gardening is a pastime relished by many people. There’s something about planning and cultivating a garden and seeing your efforts come to fruition. It’s a gratifying feeling.
Growing the wrong plant species can dampen the joy of that experience. Avoid these plants and flowers to have a garden you’ll always enjoy and be proud to show off.
Amaranth
Photo Credit: Canva.
Also called amaranthus, this short-lived perennial is a gorgeous addition to any garden but produces a lot of pollen. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, this plant will make your garden a less enjoyable experience.
Belladonna
Photo Credit: Canva.
Commonly known as deadly nightshade, this flowering plant is pretty but lethal, as the name implies. As one of the most toxic plants in the world, belladonna is dangerous to grow in a home garden since its sweet berries may appeal to small children and pets, who may accidentally eat them.
Euphorbia
Photo Credit: Canva.
This resilient perennial succulent is easy to care for and is an ideal plant for beginners. Large in size and visually appealing, euphorbia is an invasive species with a sap toxic to humans, cats, and dogs if ingested and can cause minor or severe skin irritation.
Aloe Vera
Photo Credit: Shutterstock.
A popular succulent known for its moisturizing and healing properties, the juice from the aloe vera plant is toxic if eaten by pets, causing symptoms such as depression, diarrhea, vomiting, and tremors. So if you have pets, it’s best not to grow this plant at home.
Eucalyptus Tree
Photo Credit: Canva.
With a growth rate of up to ten feet a year, the shade provided by the eucalyptus is a gardener’s dream. But the tree requires a lot of water, has invasive roots and weak branches, is toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and is prone to toppling over.
Bamboo
Photo Credit: Canva.
Bamboo is one of the world’s most rapidly growing hard grasses, used in construction as a strong and stable building material and in home gardens for privacy walls.
Bamboo’s rapid growth makes it one the most renewable of construction materials. Impervious to herbicides, bamboo is tough to contain in one area, making it one of the most aggressively invasive species in the world.
Planting bamboo in your garden means there is a likelihood that it’ll take over your entire yard and encroach on your neighbor’s yard, too. Your best bet is to plant bamboo within a contained space like a pot or bed.
Mint
Photo Credit: Canva.
Mint is an herb with many uses: in food, beverages, and as an aromatic. It appeals to beginners because it is an easy-to-grow hardy plant. However, that resilience is a double-edged sword because its roots are highly invasive unless grown in a contained space like a pot.
Bradford Pear
Photo Credit: Canva.
Bradford pear trees are a standard in many gardens due to their fast growth and abundant flowers. Despite their aesthetic appeal, these trees have two significant drawbacks, including weak branches and flowers that smell bad.
Wisteria
Photo Credit: Canva.
A lovely climbing vine that grows like a tree, the wisteria plant strongly appeals to gardeners with its waterfall-like purple flowers. It not only requires constant pruning, but it’s also an invasive species that can live for centuries.
Castor Bean Plant
Photo Credit: Canva.
The castor bean plant is grown primarily for medicinal purposes. It’s an anti-inflammatory, kills bacteria and parasites, aids in healing wounds and ulcers, and is a laxative.
However, the leaves and seeds contain numerous toxic compounds. For example, the poison ricin is found in castor beans, which, if digested, can harm small pets and livestock like horses, cattle, and sheep.
This originally appeared on Planet Natural.
- How to Grow and Care for Pineapple Plant (Complete Guide) - September 11, 2024
- How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Dogwood Tree Easily - September 10, 2024
- How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Peanut Plants - September 9, 2024
Copyright © 2004-2023