Texas Gardening: Kissing our Nandinas Good By., 0 by frostweed

frostweed wrote:
We had these Nadinas for over 30 years. I always thought they were great plants, they can take the heat, the cold, the drought, and keep themselves looking good.

On top of that they have no insect enemies, so what more could you want?
Well, about 10 years ago I became fascinated with Texas native plants and started learning about other alternatives to exotic plants.

In the process I found out about invasive plants, meaning that the exotic or non native plants spread to our forests waterways and prairies, and displace the native plants have lived there for hundreds maybe thousands of years, and in the process change the natural landscape.

Changing the native landscape will alter the the food and shelter for many forms of wildlife, lowering their populations and in some cases causing them to disappear altogether.
I thought, Oh nonsense!!! my Nandinas have been in my yard for 30 years and they never moved or spread.

Then one day we went to a forest in this area, and there they were, Nadinas, along with many other invasive trees and vines. It appears that the birds drop the seeds wherever they go.
So we had to do the right thing and they are coming out.
Here is how the bed in the front of the house looked.