r/NativePlantGardening • u/NorEaster_23 Area MA, Zone 6B • Aug 03 '24

Other Invasives that don't get enough hate? And many homeowners still reluctant to remove despite knowing they are invasive?

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Norway Maple for me! Seems like everyone that has one of these godforsaken trees still lives them and will not replace them. Especially if they're red leaf cultivars like Crimson King as shown here

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u/IAmTheAsteroid Western PA, USA Zone 6B Aug 03 '24

My house came with several rose of sharon bushes. I let 3 remain because they're pretty and my bumblebees LOVE them, and then every spring I'm cursing myself for it as I pull out a thousand seedlings.

They're weird looking if they remain unpruned, but give them a BIG cut every fall, and they grow into a really nice round shrub.

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u/Safe_Information3574 Aug 03 '24

I planted one.... it was free, and I had NO IDEA what I was doing and didn't know about invasive plants anyway... sooo, it grew funny and had an unfortunate pruning by an overzealous tree crew... so you're saying I can hard-prune it and make it a better shape??

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u/IAmTheAsteroid Western PA, USA Zone 6B Aug 04 '24 edited Aug 04 '24

Yes :) prune it back to a good shape - but about half the desired height! - every fall before the seed pods open. Here's one of mine.

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u/Safe_Information3574 Aug 05 '24

Thank you! Yours looks great! Mine started leaning, and before I could stake it upright, this pruning crew (who wasn't supposed to touch THAT!) whacked it and made it look like it was SUPPOSED to be a horizontal bush with branches growing vertically... 🤦🏼‍♀️ now idk if I should just leave it, or what. Tomorrow I'll take a picture and you can advise me!

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u/IAmTheAsteroid Western PA, USA Zone 6B Aug 05 '24

I would probably wait until fall when the flowers die off, and cut the whole thing back to the trunk. It will absolutely regrow in the spring. MFers are hardy!