By Lisa Albert, Sunset guest blogger

Photo by Tom Forney, Oregon Department of Agriculture

Sharon Cohoon and Jim McCausland sang the praises of native plants in two recent posts (A Defense of Native Gardens and Native Plant Rant), harmonizing natives’ virtues with reality to present just the right notes to gardeners. As a fellow member of the choir, I agree with their sentiments and was delighted that readers chimed in with their support.

For me, there’s also a critical Side B to this song. As much as we cherish what native plants bring to our gardens, we also need to protect them in the native wildlands that surround us. Simply put, that means selecting and growing non-native plants that don’t escape our gardens’ boundaries to become botanical bullies, supplanting the native treasures that we adore and that wildlife uses for shelter and nourishment. So you can imagine how loudly I cheer whenever the Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon State Weed Board slap a noxious weed label on a plant thug.

When butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) was listed in February 2004, I exclaimed, “It’s about time.” This plant’s belligerent behavior had been the talk among native plant enthusiasts for some time. However, my joy was tempered by the knowledge that only the species was listed; cultivars, rumored to have the same nasty tendencies, were not included.

Well, that has changed based on results of a recent Oregon State University study. In January 2008, the noxious weed listing for butterfly bush was expanded. Read "Butterfly bush: The state adds cultivars to the list of harmful invaders" to learn what this means for Oregon’s gardeners.

Lisa Albert is co-author of the Berry Botanic Garden's "Gardening for Wildlife" native plant flashcards.