Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: Which nectar/host plants are great disappointments to you??, 1 by DonnaMack

DonnaMack wrote:
Common milkweed is disgusting. Those hideous bugs crawl all over it and you don\'t want to touch it.

And frankly, Joe Pye Weed. Weed indeed. I put in one and had about 15. I started pulling them out, but small ones keep popping up.

Personally, I am tired of people who get in my face and boast about being native gardeners and then champion the virtues of a plant without giving you the downsides. The invasiveness can be terrible. I actually work a Prairie and Rain Garden for Extension, and I can see the stuff for myself. I don\'t want a garden in which natives spread relentlessly. Stop beating the drum and be realistic. It took a Root Slayer to get the excess eupatorium out so I could plant roses and smokebushes.

Now one plant I just love is borage. In both blue and white. Yes, it spreads but it is easy to remove. I understand that it attracts more pollinators than any other plant. It coms back every year and I remove the excess by simply pulling it out.