Make that a lot sad. And we wonder why our neighborhoods are overgrown with these plants...

I hope that people that are offering her honeysuckle are offering "good" ones (like coral honeysuckle). They don't say. As for wisteria, perhaps she doesn't realize that there are several native wisteria cultivars available now (like Amethyst Falls). People that do find out about it usually look for it instead.

But sadly, there are plenty of people that just don't care as long as they get what they want.

Anyone who has tried to remove any of these pest plants would do more than sigh. I hope their ears tingle as I swear while working for the past three years trying to eradicate them from my woods. The idea that pruning can contain a plant that goes to seed, which attracts birds to eat them, then deposit them in someone else's property is offensive.

Hi Esh, you are so right, there are good alternatives.

Trying to eradicate the Wisteria is hard enough, writing a four digit check to an arborist to remove a dead, strangled tree from your property is pretty tough too.

I told my neighbor that the privets they have are on the invasive list (they didn't plant them, they were inherited.) But their response was, "But there's a matching one on the other side of the lot." I see all of the privet volunteers in their backyard and know what it will be like in a few years. I also know that I will have to continue pulling up volunteers in my yard. Argh!

Yes, so many people think that if the plant was there before they (the person) got there, it MUST be native. That's when you have to introduce them to the word "naturalized". Try to convince them that it's an INVADER that is taking up space that could be for plants that they CHOOSE. Like an illegal alien that is stealing our jobs ... you never know what might strike a chord with people!

And then immediately suggest an alternative plant and what nursery has them. If I can convince people to replace privet or eleagnus with ANY other plant (be it native or not as long as it is not invasive), then the battle is mostly won for me (wholly won if it is a native replacement, of course).

For my immediate neighbors, I even volunteered to remove all the honeysuckle that straddles our property. They didn't care and were happy to have someone else do it. This way I can make sure it really gets terminated! And since these folks love birds, I am careful to point out all the bird friendly plants that I am planting instead of the invasives.

some people would LIKE to see these plants invade natural forests and habitats because there "pretty".

That's what I don't get about the privets--they are so ugly! I've actually approached my neighbors twice about the privets. I had thought about volunteering to help remove them, and going in on the replacement plants on the property line, but I haven't said anything, yet. I want our relationship to remain friendly, and for them not to think of me as their obsessive neighbor. Any ideas? Thanks!
Pam

I hear you, I have a neighbor who grows Buckthorn and my natives are growing right across from it on the other aside of the streat, I killed a large buckthorn stump on my dads property grown from them.

I went around in by their trashcans and sprayed roundup on the spreading buckthorns but left the big ones alone, so far I;ve got buckthorn on my hit list, just not the neighbors planted bushes.

I say go ahead and kill um and plant native look alikes, you have a right to protect your land, maybe take a day off work and do it when they are not home. These neighbors oviousllly do not know there plants and you could probably plant a look alike and they would never know.