20 plants and flowers that should come with a health warning

20 plants and flowers that should come with a health warning

A picture of a bamboo that had muscled its way through a living room wall and threatened to engulf the sofa grabbed my attention. That was just an initial flick through a copy of Invasive Bamboos by Brian Taylor, Jim Glaister and Max Wade ( Packard , £35). But bamboos are not the only garden space invaders. Many other garden plants that are widely sold can become problematic. Some are attractive plants that were originally chosen to fulfil certain roles, but were subsequently found to run amok in average garden conditions. As a cohort of new gardeners venture into their outdoor spaces, now is a good time to look at the garden plants that should come with a health warning. Understanding plant growth habit is key, in addition to following “right plant, right place” principles. Invasive plants we can learn to live with Gardeners have their own tipping points when it comes to deciding when a desirable plant has become a thuggish nuisance. The RHS list, Garden Thugs: Potential Nuisance Plants includes edibles such as blackberries and raspberries – but that shouldn’t put anyone off growing them. Mint is also listed – although growing it in a pot easily contains