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English Ivy ( Hedera Helix ): Harmful because it can quickly climb a tree and cover a forest floor , blocking leaves , seedlings , and other plant life from getting enough light , moisture and air to survive . This plant grows rapidly and can kill trees by sapping nutrients , or weighing them down to the point of limbs snapping . A native alternative to English Ivy in your yard is Golden Ragwort that can has long-blooming yellow flowers and is also green throughout the year .
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Mimosa Tree ( Albizia Julibrissin ): Mimosa trees , also known as Persian Silk Trees , are short-lived trees that are heralded for their beautiful blooms . These trees are known to fill out and shade large areas in the landscape while depriving native shrubs and grasses of the sun they need to thrive . These trees are also fast spreaders and can quickly push out native trees from a habitat . Native alternatives to mimosa trees are the Red Buckeye , Downy Serviceberry , and Eastern Redbud , which all bring bright colors to your landscape without inhibiting the growth of other native landscape plants .
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Butterfly Bush ( Buddleja ): Although this bush is a very popular ornamental in gardens due to its pretty blooms and appearance , it drastically hinders the success of all native butterflies and caterpillars . Since it is not native to North America , Butterfly Bushes are not fed on by a single native caterpillar or butterfly . Native alternatives to the Butterfly Bush include Butterfly Weed , Sweet Pepperbush , Virginia Sweetspire , and many types of Milkweed . Snowy Milkweed , Whorled Milkweed , Orange Butterfly Milkweed , and Swamp Milkweed all create beautiful blooms in your garden with vibrant colors , with the latter being a favorite host plant for Monarch Butterflies .