Hi friend,

Something I hear a lot from people when I’m discussing invasive plants is, “But my parent/grandparent/sibling/friend, etc. gave me this plant as a gift, and that person has since passed away. It has sentimental value to me, and I don’t want to get rid of it.”

Interestingly, this seems to happen a lot with butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii), a very harmful but popular invasive species across North America.

Perhaps it’s bad luck to gift someone this invasive shrub 😉 (just kidding...sort of)

As someone who’s experienced a lot of loss and grief in my lifetime, I understand the importance of these sentimental items after someone you love is gone.

So here’s what I would do in that situation:

• Harvest some flowers/leaves/branches from the sentimental invasive plant
• Hang the plant material to dry so it can be preserved
• Now you have a piece of the plant to keep as a remembrance without harming your local ecosystems!
• Remove the plant from your yard and dispose of whatever pieces you don’t want to preserve
• Plant something native and ecologically beneficial in the same spot, and know that you’re helping support life!
• Maybe even add a little plaque or sign next to the native replacement, dedicating it to your loved one

It’s important not to lose sight of the bigger picture.

The person who gifted you the invasive plant in your yard probably had good intentions and didn’t know better.

I think they would support you in choosing the greater good and helping to support those of us still in living bodies on Earth.

If you’re looking to add more native plants to your garden, check out my seed shop here!​

Tory is an ecologist and landscape consultant. He helps North American gardeners transition from using outdated and harmful but status-quo techniques to using their yards to improve the health of our planet. Along with being a gardener for over 10 years, Tory has a Master of Science degree in Sustainable Design and is certified in Regenerative Soil Science.​

​