while I consider myself lucky to have a beautiful outdoor space to call my own, the entire property is absolutely riddled with Oriental bittersweet. This invasive vine manages to strangle (and often kill) every plant it comes in contact with—we’ve lost full-grown, 100-year-old trees to it—and it’s near impossible to get rid of once it has a foothold.
Given how awful this plant is, I was shocked to find out that some nurseries actually sell it as an ornamental plant. In fact, it’s fairly common to find invasive species and non-native plants in garden centers, and while they might look pretty—bittersweet gets festive red berries with orange shells in the fall—these plants aren’t great for our local ecosystems. That’s where “ungardening” comes in. We spoke to an ecologist about how this new gardening movement can help reverse ecological decline and build habitats for local wildlife, and it turns out that it’s perfect for anyone with a laissez faire gardening style (like me!).