I finally got around to filling out my profile today and had to include a blurb about how much I loathe invasive species, so you piqued my interest enough to pop in and share the soapbox.

There are several bradford pears in my neighborhood as well, and fortunately they aren't a problem (yet). What I have the most problem with is kudzu (who doesn't?), invasive ivy, chinese privet and japanese wisteria. When I moved into my place, these were running rampant, and they're all over my neighborhood.

I prefer native plants over anything, and I don't think I mind the non-native species so much, as long as they aren't invasive/agressive to my native plants. I think, in general, I have a problem with prolific seeders of any species, regardless their perceived value to others, regardless if they are native or not. I exhibit control in my life and want my plants to do the same :)

I love plants, so it pains me that Roundup and similar vegetation killers have been my best friend the past couple of years, mostly due to irresponsible actions of others, both buyers being uninformed/not caring and sellers not explaining/not caring, and probably due to the value placed on certain invasive species for [insert "valuable" quality here].

I have trees in my backyard with branches 8" in diameter that are shaped like a corkscrew from rampant japanese wisteria trying to pull them down (vines looked like anacondas). I'm still hitting sprouts from parts of the main root (7" diameter) that is still not dead. I eradicated the kudzu completely for my entire block. 97% of the Ivy is gone. 99% of the chinese privet around my house is gone, I'll be eternally pulling seeders (probably from bird deposits) because many people have no idea it's invasive, so it's everywhere in the neighborhood. I'm down to squabbling with bindweed at browntop right now, and can't wait to win that battle - or at least get it in check.

I guess there are bigger fish to fry, though. I work on my landscape, and I'm happy to help others in my local area with theirs, explain what is invasive and the kind of upkeep required on certain plants, why you should choose some rather than others, etc.

This will sound crazy - but there is a yard on one side of Grant Park (metro Atlanta) that has an entire front yard with a gradient ~75'x75' that is nothing but kudzu. It's so well manicured, I doubt most people even realize what it is. It looks better than Ivy, IMHO....meanwhile, birds are probably spreading it everywhere, and the taproots are probably so large that if it's ever removed, it will spread profusely whereever the soil is dumped.

/rant

Satellitehead, I enjoyed your rant :) and you are welcome to share my soap box on invasive plants. Sounds like you've got a few different nasties than I have and you have my sympathies. You might also look for these seedlings: japanese privet (waxleaf ligustrum), nandina, elaeagnus, japanese honeysuckle, mahonia bealei, and stilt grass.

That is not to say that there are not native species that are a bit too aggressive for me - I'm still tangling with trumpet creeper and smilax. And of course the seedlings of red maple and sweetgum just want to rule the world.

I hope if you are not already a member of the Georgia Native Plant Society that you will consider joining.

Welcome to Garden Web.

"Frankly I think it is great when new folks come in to revitalize stale landscapes."

Yes I agree but how many times can you remember a story or post where someone talks about a family that just moves into a home and the first thing they do is tear down a bunch of mature desirable trees? Or turn them into coat racks to bring in more sunlight for the garden. Or lawn!

I know that does happen. Everyone's idea of a good landscape is different. Sometimes it's for the better, sometimes it's not.

Something I think is even worse than planting some pears or mimosa in a place without even any current landscaping is what you often see where people remove desirable MATURE native vegetation such as mature pines, maples, tulip poplars etc and then in its place they plant some crepe myrtles, barberry etc because the native vegetation just isn't pretty enough. Like the SC dept of Transportation, They have those 'colorful spaces' that I complained about in the carolina gardening forum.

Gwinnett county also has a bad habit of removing trees to widen the expressways and plant vast groves of crepe myrtle and cryptomeria there at an enormous cost. They could have used that space to replace the trees they took down.

I don't remember where I was when I recently saw a landscaped area at an Interstate exit ramp but I thought to myself, who in their right mind would come out here and work on this landscaping with cars whizzing by an 80+ miles an hour with nothing to stop an out of control car from slamming in the workers.

in my neighborhood, we have a developer that is has a habit of clearcutting entire blocks worth of trees to build houses, but several people stood up and fought him this last time around with good result.

we are fortunate in Atlanta proper, in that our arborists kick some serious ass, and people nearby are very, very aware when trees are in distress, and don't hesitate to call. i've seen a couple of hefty fines for several thousands of dollars getting handed out in the past 5 years.

ESH, i am not a member of the GNPS (although my last roommate was), but will look into it. about your trumpet creeper, i've dealt with it, i think bindweed is much worse, i believe. i share your pain with greenbriar actually, i have one spot behind the house that continual has shooters coming up, even after digging out the tubers, herbicides don't seem to kill it. it's terrible.

Re: nandina...my roommate happily took a couple dozen leaf bags from our neighborhood last fall and mulched them. this led to several interesting things coming up on the bed that received them, including sweet olive, shiso, several oaks, several black cherries, a camellia and...unfortunately, more nandina than i can shake a stick at. festive!