Alternatives to Ornamental Invasive Plants Guidebook

The propagation and sale of 56 invasive plant species became illegal January 1st, 2009 for both Nassau and Suffolk Counties. A Management List was also developed for Suffolk County consisting of moderately invasive plants not recommended for planting in parks or other sensitive ecosystems. The intent of this legislation is to reduce the threat of invasive plants to Long Island’s native biodiversity. Unfortunately, some of the listed plants have traditionally been grown in nurseries and planted in gardens as ornamentals throughout the East Coast. Long Island green professionals as well as homeowners can no longer use some of these commercially-important ornamentals that have been cultivated for decades or centuries. To address this issue, a list of recommended alternatives to commercially-important, invasive plants has been developed by a diverse group of stakeholders specifically for Long Island. Both native and non-native alternative plants were considered. The criteria for choosing an appropriate alternative plant were that it was non-invasive and had similar form, function in the landscape, ornamental features, size, cultural requirements, and growth rate as the invasive plant it was meant to replace.

Spearheaded by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, collaborators included SUNY Farmingdale, Long Island Farm Bureau, Long Island Nursery-Landscape Association, Planting Fields Arboretum, and NY State Council of Landscape Architects. The collaborative list is being used to create a user-friendly guidebook featuring photographs and descriptions of each alternative plant. This will hopefully become an essential resource for green professionals and homeowners alike.

Invasives FAQs

Native Alternatives List