Liana Reynoutria compacta [Japanese Knotweed] Handsome groundcover with summer color. Adaptable to poor, dry soils. Just a root cutting stuck in poor soil will lead to an aggressive spreading groundcover. Spreads by underground stems; can be very invasive. Fall color not attractive (best to mow it down in the fall).
Shrub/Tree InvasiveThis plant is considered invasive Rhamnus cathartica [Common Buckthorn] Tolerates most sites. Dioecious. Very invasive, by the seeds that birds love to eat; probably best to refrain from planting this species in the landscape. Susceptible to rusts (Puccinia coronata), that also attacks oats (in oat growing areas, buckthorn eradication is recommended). The bark, leaves, and fruit were once used in purgatives, thus one of this plant's common names, "Purging Buckthorn".
Shrub Indiana Native Rhus glabra [Smooth Sumac] Large, club-like fruit clusters and rather coarse compound leaves make this a plant that can best be appreciated from a distance, and so it is at its best in large-scale plantings. Picturesque branches. Hard to kill this plant. Can be rejuvenated by cutting to ground in late winter. Plants are dioecious, so only females have the fruiting interest, but all plants are reliably colorful in fall foliage. Spreads rapidly by suckers.
Shrub Indiana Native Robinia hispida var. fertilis [Bristly Locust] Can fix nitrogen. Especially well adapted to poor, dry, alkaline soils. Though native, can be invasive on sandy soils. Frequent pruning may be needed.
Tree Indiana Native Robinia pseudoacacia [Black Locust] Widely variable in form, the most picturesque are straight-trunked with branches abruptly fanning out at the top. Fixes N2. Locust borers are troublesome and difficult to control, but many trees live with them successfully for many years. Leaf minors and permanently wet soils can be problems.
Herbaceous Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues' [The Blues Little Bluestem] Little bluestem is native to prairies and fields from Quebec to Alberta and from Arizona to Florida. Ornamental grass good for low maintenance.
Shrub Sorbaria sorbifolia [Ural Falsespirea] Coarse texture and unusual spirea-like flowers give this plant unique summer interest. Best in large-scale situations. Spreads vigorously by suckering if not contained. Intensive root pruning can be used to control spread. Does not do the best in dry soils but does tolerate them. Does poorly in heavy wind. Flowers turn brown with senescence and esthetic is slightly improved by their removal. To some, a bit too coarse in winter habit.
Shrub Spiraea × bumalda 'Anthony Waterer' [Anthony Waterer Bumald Spirea] 'Anthony Waterer' Japanese Spirea is a cultivar of Spiraea japonica that originated from the original cultivar of Spiraea x bumalda (hybrid of S. albiflora and S. japonica), as many other cultivars of Spiraea. This condensed shrub reached 3 to 4' in height and roughly 4-5' in width at maturity. Flowers reach 4 to 6" in diameter, flat topped, deep carmine-pink inflorescences that bloom through the summer months. New leaves emerge a rusty-brown and change to…
Tree Ulmus pumila [Siberian Elm] Grows under almost any conditions, especially useful in dry sites. Resists Dutch elm disease. Leaf beetles can defoliate trees. Brittle branches and subsequently messy. Avoid planting this tree in the landscape, unless there is no other choice. Considered invasive in many areas.
Tree Indiana Native Ulmus rubra [Slippery Elm] The Slippery Elm has a vase-shaped form, similar to that of the American Elm (Ulmus americana), but with more ascending branchlets. This tree gained its common name from the moist, slippery, red inner bark chewed by Native Americans and pioneers to quench thirst. Not considered very ornamental for the landscape, due to its coarse texture, weedy tendencies, and susceptibility to Dutch Elm Disease (although not as severe as the American Elm).
