Herbaceous Alternatives for Eastern WA
Below, you will find non-invasive alternatives to common invasive or noxious weeds. Looking to replace a specific plant? Click here to jump to that section!
Knotweeds: Giant, Bohemian, Himalayan, and Japanese
Clary Sage, Meadow Clary, & Mediterranean Sage
Full List of Recommended Herbaceous Alternatives
Key
Looking for a different type of plant?
Alternatives to Babysbreath
INVASIVE: Babysbreath
Gypsophila paniculata
Class C Washington State Noxious Weed
The delicate sprays of white flowers make this European native a popular plant for fresh or dried flower bouquets and for garden borders. Unfortunately, this plant with a delicate name and flower can escape gardens and aggressively colonize elsewhere. It is now widespread throughout Canada and much of the northern half of the United States. The seeds can ripen in cut bouquets, left at cemeteries and other locations, allowing the plant to spread into adjacent areas. Babysbreath readily invades pastures and grasslands where it outcompetes desirable plants and reduces forage quality for livestock and wildlife.
More choices: Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) and snow buckwheat (Eriogonum niveum), both of which are WA natives.
Learn more here:
Recommended Alternative: Miss Willmott Pincushion Flower & Other White Cultivars
Scabiosa caucasia ‘Miss Willmott’
This plant is an attractive, clump-forming perennial.
- Its white flowers are 3 inches across and are very good for cutting.
- The blooms are the same color as babysbreath but not the same texture.
- Flowers are present from mid-summer to late-summer.
- The attractive foliage is dark green and gray-green and provides a lacy effect.
- It prefers a sunny site with good drainage.
USDA Zones 3-10.
Image Courtesy of Chris Bligh, Shoots and Roots Nursery
Recommended Alternative: Pearl Yarrow
Achillea ptarmica ‘The Pearl’
Pearl yarrow is a graceful and airy plant.
• This plant has lovely white flowers that are about one-half inch wide.
• Like babysbreath, the double-bloom flowers are long-lasting and good for bouquets.
• Its attractive foliage is delicate and fern like.
• It is best grown in full sun with summer watering.
• This perennial spreads by rhizome and needs good drainage.
USDA Zones 3-10.
Image Courtesy of Richard Old,www.xidservices.com
Recommended Alternative: Pink Cloud Wandflower & Other Cultivars
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Pink Cloud’
‘Pink Cloud’ is a stunning upright perennial covered with soft, pink blooms.
• Pink-blushed flowers are held on slender stems above foliage which provides an airy look.
• It blooms from summer into autumn.
• Flowers are good in borders and for cutting.
• Foliage ranges from mid-green to gray-green to burgundy, depending on the cultivar.
• This plant can reach three feet in height.
USDA Zones 6-9.
Image Courtesy of Tiffany Adamowski
Alternatives to Bighead Knapweed
INVASIVE: Bighead Knapweed
Centaurea macrocephala
Class A Washington State Noxious Weed
With its large and striking yellow flowers, bighead knapweed, also known as ‘Yellow Fluff’ and ‘Globe Centaury’, has sometimes been used in dried floral arrangements. However, this plant is a member of the knapweed family which includes some of the most problematic weeds in the West. Bighead knapweed was discovered escaping gardens in northeastern Washington where it moved along roadsides and spread into high elevation rangeland, reforestation sites, and powerline right-of-ways. It has the potential to invade Washington’s precious subalpine meadows.
More choices: Large flowered tickseed (Coreopsis grandiflora).
Learn more here:
Recommended Alternative: Giant Yellow Star Scabious
Cephalaria gigantea
This alternative is an impressive, eye-catching perennial for the garden.
• Giant pale yellow flower heads resemble pincushions and are 2.5 inches across.
• It blooms during the summer months.
• Mature seed heads are also ornamental.
• With a stately height of up to 7 feet tall, scabious is great as a border or showcase plant.
• It prefers rich, well-drained soil and full sun to part shade.
USDA Zones 3-10.
Image Courtesy of Lenne Valkenburg
Recommended Alternative: Blanket Flower
Gaillardia aristata
Blanket flower is a good native plant for the garden since it adapts well to cultivation.
• Bright golden-yellow petals surround vivid red centers.
• Showy flowers appear in early summer, are daisy like in form, and are 4 inches wide.
• As with knapweeds, the flowers are held above the bluish-green foliage.
• It is excellent for cutting and in borders.
• It grows up to 2.5 feet tall.
• This perennial tolerates heat and needs good drainage.
USDA Zones 3-9.
Image Courtesy of Ben Legler
Recommended Alternative: Goldsturm Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’
This plant is a long-lived, long- blooming perennial for a sunny site.
• It has bright, showy flowers with orange-yellow petals surrounding purplish brown centers.
• While the flower form is different, the color impact is similar.
• Flowers bloom between July and September and are excellent for cutting.
• This perennial reaches 24-30 inches in height and 24 inches in width.
• It is great for beds, borders, and meadow areas.
USDA Zones 3-9.
Image Courtesy of Dave Jones, Great Plant Picks
Alternatives to Knotweeds: Giant, Bohemian, Himalayan, and Japanese
INVASIVE: Knotweeds: Giant, Bohemian, Himalayan, and Japanese
Polygonum species
Class B Washington State Noxious Weed
Feathery white flower heads, large foliage, and tall bamboo-like stems once made this group of knotweeds popular as garden ornamentals. Native to Asia, knotweeds have become a serious problem worldwide and are increasingly prevalent in Washington. They rapidly invade riparian zones where they block sunlight, disturb nutrient cycling, displace native vegetation, and increase stream bank erosion. These knotweeds are a serious problem along Washington State waterways where they degrade habitat for wildlife and fish species, including salmon.
More choices: Plume poppy (Macleaya microcarpa), and rosy twisted stalk (Streptopus roseus).
Learn more about knotweeds:
Image Courtesy of Whatcom County NWCB
Recommended Alternative: False Solomon’s Seal
Smilacina racemosa
This plant is a shade-loving, early-blooming native perennial with gracefully arching stems.
• Clusters of delicate, creamy white flowers appear in mid-spring, before knotweed blooms.
• The flowers are lightly fragrant.
• Lance-shaped leaves reach lengths of 8 inches.
• It can exceed 3 feet in height and spread to create a large patch in the right place.
• It prefers partial shade and adapts well to a variety of soils.
USDA Zones 4-9.
Image Courtesy of Pat Breen, Oregon State University
Recommended Alternative: Goat’s Beard
Aruncus dioicus
This robust perennial native gives height to your garden.
• Like knotweed, goat’s beard thrives in moist soil.
• It produces a panicle of cream-colored flowers similar to knotweeds; although, the foliage and flower texture is finer.
• It blooms in June and July, which is a little earlier than knotweed.
• This plant grows up to 6 feet tall.
USDA Zones 3-7.
Image Courtesy of Clayton Antieau
Recommended Alternative: Plume Poppy
Macleaya cordata
Plume poppy provides a dramatic presence in the garden.
• Large plumes of small, buff-white flowers are more attractive than knotweed.
• Its brown seed pods are also ornamental.
• Striking leaves are deeply lobed and measure up to 4 inches across.
• Plants reach a height of 8 feet.
• It spreads by way of stolons to form patches.
• This plant needs water in summer and good drainage.
USDA Zones 3-8.
Image Courtesy of Mike Davy
Alternatives to Milk & Scotch Thistle
INVASIVE: Milk & Scotch Thistle
Silybum marianum & Onopordum acanthium
Class A & B Washington State Noxious Weed
Milk thistle has often been used as a showcase plant in the garden due to its striking white-laced foliage and spine-tipped flower heads. Scotch thistle has been used as a barrier since this spiny plant can reach a height of eight feet by its second year. As attractive as the managed prickly plants may be in the garden, they are unwelcome in meadows and pastures where they reduce forage quality. Additionally, milk thistle can be toxic to livestock.
More choices: Prince calico aster (Aster lateriflorus ‘Prince’), alma potschke New England aster (A. Novae-angliae ‘Alma Potschke’), Monch frikarti aster (A. x frikartii ‘Monch’), sea holly (Eryngium ‘Sapphire Blue’ and other cultivars).
Learn more here:
Image Courtesy of Stevens County NWCB
Recommended Alternative: Globe Thistle
Echinops ritro or Echinops ‘Taplow Blue’
These plants are thistle-like in appearance and are easy to grow.
• Blooms appear in June and can last until fall.
• The metallic-blue, globe-shaped flower heads are plentiful atop the plant.
• Flowers are excellent when cut.
• Plants are similar in scale to thistles; E. ritro is 4 feet in height and E. ‘Taplo Blue’ is 5 feet in height.
• Globe thistle is tolerant of a variety of light conditions and is not fussy about soil type.
USDA Zones 3-8.
Image Courtesy of Alice B. Russell, North Carolina State University
Recommended Alternative: Jerusalem Sage
Phlomis tuberosa
This sage is ideal for hot, dry areas.
• Its hooded flowers are showy pinkish-purple and appear in whorls in the leaf axils.
• This plant blooms during the summer.
• Arrow-shaped foliage measures up to 10 inches in length and is silver in color due to fine hairs.
• The erect habit is similar to invasive thistles.
• This plant reaches a height of 5 feet.
USDA Zones 4-10.
Image Courtesy of Chris Bligh, Shoots and Roots nursery
Recommended Alternative: Purple Dome New England Aster
Aster novi-belgii ‘Purple Dome’
This aster is an excellent plant for adding a purple bloom to the garden late in the season.
• Vibrant purple, daisy-like blooms cover the top of the plant between August and October.
• Flowers are excellent for cutting.
• Its foliage is dense, stalkless, and lance-shaped.
• Sturdy stems make a good shrub like presence when the plant is not in bloom.
• It is smaller in stature than milk thistle.
• This plant is rarely affected by powdery mildew.
USDA Zones 4-8.
Image Courtesy of Alice B. Russell, North Carolina State University
Alternatives to Myrtle Spurge
INVASIVE: Myrtle Spurge
Euphorbia myrsinites
Class B Washington State Noxious Weed
Its geometric, blue-green foliage, long life, and ability to thrive in gravelly soil have made myrtle spurge a popular plant for xeriscaping and in rock gardens. Capable of throwing its seeds up to fifteen feet, this succulent can spread into arid ecosystems where it displaces native vegetation.
Like its cousin leafy spurge - considered one of the worst plants in the West - myrtle spurge is invasive and can be difficult to control. Additionally, it exudes a toxic sap.
More choices: Sulfur flower (Erogonum umbellatum), kinnikinnick (Artostaphylos uva-ursi), and lance-leaved stonecrop (Sedum lanceolatum), all of which are WA natives.
Learn more here:
Recommended Alternative: Sun Rose
Helianthemum spp. and cultivars
Sun Rose is a clumping, evergreen shrub with a spreading habit and brightly colored flowers.
• The flowers are unlike Euphorbia flowers and resemble wild rose.
• Cultivars provide an array of vibrant colors such as magenta, pink, orange, and yellow.
• It blooms between June and September.
• As a low spreading shrub, it measures less than 1 foot tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.
• Although its texture differs from myrtle spurge, sun rose is a mannerly and uniquely beautiful plant with green to silver foliage.
USDA Zones 5-8.
Image Courtesy of Ann Chapman
Recommended Alternative: Cape Blanco or Purple Stonecrop
Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’, ‘Purpureum’
This plant is an excellent, mat-forming evergreen plant.
• Its bluish toned foliage is beautiful year-round.
• Bright golden-yellow, star-shaped flowers provide striking contrast in June.
• A white, powdery coating on its leaves gives ‘Cape Blanco’ a silvery blue appearance.
• ‘Purpureum’ has purple-tinged, bluish foliage.
• Plants reach a height of 4 inches and spread about 2-4 feet forming a tight mat.
• This plant tolerates some shade and requires good drainage.
USDA Zones 6-10.
Image Courtesy of Ben Legler
Recommended Alternative: Evergreen Spurge
Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii and cultivars
Blue-green foliage and large leaves give this plant a bold texture in the landscape.
• Showy flowers feature lime-green to chartreuse flower bracts and burgundy-black eyes.
• It has a long bloom time, extending from March to May.
• Flowers are very good for cutting.
• This plant and its cultivars may be damaged by severe winters and are best considered short-lived perennials in such climates.
• Plants reach a height and width of 3-4 feet.
USDA Zones 7-10.
Image Courtesy of San Marcos Growers
Alternatives to Oxeye Daisy
INVASIVE: Oxeye Daisy
Leucanthemum vulgare
Class B Washington State Noxious Weed
A common sight throughout the United States, oxeye daisy was first introduced, probably as a seed contaminant, into the Pacific Northwest in the late 1800s. It is a familiar sight along roadways where it can spread into native grasslands, fields, and pastures. It reduces plant diversity and lowers forage quality for grazing wildlife and livestock by replacing plants that are higher in protein. Oxeye daisy competes with crops, especially cereal crops, which are so important in eastern Washington.
More choices: Angelita daisy (Hymenoxys acaulis)
Learn more here:
Recommended Alternative: Becky Shasta Daisy
Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Becky’
This plant is a charming and well-behaved daisy.
• Its daisy-like flowers are much larger than oxeye.
• The flowers attract butterflies and are good for cutting.
• The dark green foliage is attractive and sturdy.
• A tidy, upright habit makes Becky Shasta daisy a terrific garden plant.
• Its long bloom period extends from June to September.
• Becky Shasta daisy is not fussy about soils but needs good drainage.
USDA Zones 5-9.
Image Courtesy of Great Plant Picks
Recommended Alternative: White Wood Aster
Aster divaricatus
Profuse blooming makes this plant delicately showy.
• White, daisy-like flowers are smaller than oxeye daisy and measure 1 inch across.
• The bloom time is later than oxeye daisy, from July through September.
• Wiry, blackish stems contrast beautifully with white flowers and green foliage.
• The leaves are heart shaped and coarsely toothed.
• It tolerates some shade and may need summer water.
USDA Zones 3-8.
Image Courtesy of Randall G. Prostak, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Recommended Alternative: Moonbeam Thread-leaved Tickseed
Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’
This plant is similar to oxeye daisy but with glowing, pale yellow blooms.
• Its flowers attract bees and butterflies.
• Tickseed blooms from summer into fall.
• The foliage is green and filament-like creating a fine texture in the landscape.
• A low maintenance, drought-tolerant plant, tickseed is excellent in the garden or as a container plant.
• Tickseed grows quickly and should be divided every two years or replanted.
USDA Zones 3-10.
Image Courtesy of Chris Bligh, Shoots and Roots nursery
Alternatives to Clary Sage, Meadow Clary, & Mediterranean Sage
INVASIVE: Clary Sage, Meadow Clary, & Mediterranean Sage
Salvia sclarea, S. pratensis, and S aethiopis
Class A & B Washington State Noxious Weeds
The bi-colored pink and cream, solid blue-violet and white flowers of these sages make them attractive additions to the garden. While there are many equally, if not more attractive and well-behaved sages for the flower, herb, and medicinal garden, these three species are particularly problematic in Washington. They invade pastures, rangeland, and natural meadows where they reduce forage quality and displace native plants. Mediterranean sage can also compete with some crops.
More choices: Gray ball sage (Salvia dorrii), and sticky Jerusalem sage (Phlomis russeliana).
Learn more here:
Recommended Alternative: Silver Sage
Salvia argentea
Striking, silvery and fuzzy foliage adds texture and contrast to the garden.
• Flowers are white to pale pink and are borne on candelabra like branching stems.
• This plant reaches 3 feet in height and has a clumping habit that is similar to invasive sages.
• It behaves as a biennial or short-lived perennial.
• Silver sage prefers full sun and good drainage with some summer water.
USDA Zones 3-8.
Image Courtesy of Lenne Valkenburg
Recommended Alternative: Russian Sage
Perovskia atriplicifolia
Russian sage is a long-blooming perennial for a sunny, dry site.
• Twelve-inch spires of tubular, purple flowers add a splash of color in late summer.
• Like the invasive sages, Russian sage is a drought-tolerant plant that does well in poor soils.
• This plant adds a strong vertical element to the garden with its silvery stem and foliage.
USDA Zones 5-10.
Image Courtesy of Alice B. Russell, North Carolina State University
Recommended Alternative: Meadow & Woodland Sages
Salvia nemorosa cultivars and S. x sylvestris
Both of these sages are similar in appearance to invasive sages.
• Flowers are showy, held in spikes above the foliage, and are good for cutting.
• Deadheading will prolong blooming into autumn.
• The foliage of meadow sage is rugose, dull green, broad-leaved and held in a clump.
• The foliage of woodland sage is similar in shape but is green to gray-green.
• Height for both sages range from 1-3 feet.
USDA Zones 4-8.
Image Courtesy of Ann Chapman
Full List of Recommended Herbaceous Alternatives
The following is a list of recommended herbaceous plants for Eastern Washington. You can find more suggestions of non-invasive plants from your local nursery, WSU Master Gardeners, and at www.GreatPlantPicks.org.
- Miss Willmott Pincushion Flower & Other White Cultivars, Scabiosa caucasia ‘Miss Willmott’
- Pearl Yarrow, Achillea ptarmica ‘The Pearl’
- Pink Cloud Wandflower & Other Cultivars, Gaura lindheimeri ‘Pink Cloud’
- Snow Buckwheat, Eriogonum niveum
- Giant Yellow Star Scabious, Cephalaria gigantea
- Blanket Flower, Gaillardia aristata
- Goldsturm Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’
- Large Flowered Tickseed, Coreopsis grandiflora
- False Solomon’s Seal, Smilacina racemosa
- Goat’s Beard, Aruncus dioicus
- Plume Poppy, Macleaya cordata
- Plume Poppy, Macleaya microcarpa
- Rosy Twisted Stalk, Streptopus roseus
- Globe Thistle, Echinops ritro or Echinops ‘Taplow Blue’
- Jerusalem Sage, Phlomis tuberosa
- Purple Dome New England Aster, Aster novi-belgii ‘Purple Dome’
- Prince Calico Aster, Aster lateriflorus ‘Prince’
- Alma Potschke New England aster, Aster Novae-angliae ‘Alma Potschke’
- Monch Frikarti Aster, Aster x frikartii ‘Monch'
- Sea Holly, Eryngium ‘Sapphire Blue’ and other cultivars
- Sun Rose, Helianthemum spp. and cultivars
- Cape Blanco or Purple Stonecrop, Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’, ‘Purpureum’
- Evergreen Spurge, Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii and cultivars
- Sulfur Flower, Eriogonum umbellatum
- Kinnikinnick, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
- Lance-leaved Stonecrop, Sedum lanceolatum
- Becky Shasta Daisy, Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Becky’
- White Wood Aster, Aster divaricatus
- Moonbeam Thread-leaved Tickseed, Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’
- Angelita Daisy, Hymenoxys acaulis
- Silver Sage, Salvia argentea
- Russian Sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia
- Meadow & Woodland Sages, Salvia nemorosa cultivars and S. x sylvestris
- Autumn Blush Tickseed, Coreopsis 'Autumn Blush'
- Dwarf Daylily Cultivars, e.g. Hemerocallis 'Stella D' Oro'
- Gateway Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium maculatum 'Gateway'
- Hardy Cyclamen, Cyclamen hederifolium
- Jack Frost Bugloss, Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'
- Japanese Silver Grass, Miscanthus sinensis cultivars
- Kent Beauty Oregano, Oregano rotundifolium 'Kent Beauty'
- "Molly the Witch" Peony, Paeonia mlokosewitchii
- Prairie Coneflower, Echinacea hybrids
- Purple Wood Spurge, Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea'
- Rozanne + Pink Penny Hardy Geraniums, Geranium 'Rozanne' and 'Pink Penny'
- Autumn Joy Sedum, Sedum spectabile 'Autumn Joy'
- Purple Emperor, Sedum 'Purple Emperor'
