Making sure your plant is the native one.
Nature is amazing and I guess it should not be surprising a plant native to the eastern U.S. might have a look a-like in a foreign land. Interesting! Distinguishing among them can be a challenge. Here is how to tell the difference between common natives and ornamental look a-likes.
Beautyberries
Beautyberry shrubs are coveted for their bright purple berries in fall. Both native beautyberry and several types of Asian beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma, Calllicarpa japonica, and Callicarpa bodinieri) are commonly sold in local garden centers. The Asian shrubs are quite similar to the native though slightly more uniform in growth habit.
You can distinguish between the two by looking at the berry clusters. Berry clusters of native beautyberry form directly on the branch. Berries on the Asian shrub are attached by short stems.
Clematis
Clouds of white blooms covering fences and trellises in fall are a fresh sight. From any distance, it can be hard to tell the difference between our native clematis (Clematis virginiana) and the invasive Asian clematis commonly sold as sweet autumn clematis (Clematis terniflora).
You can distinguish between the two by looking at the leaves. The leaves of native clematis are grouped in threes and are a lighter green as seen above right. The leaves of sweet autumn clematis are darker green and more leather like in texture as shown in the lower right. .
Dogwood Trees
Dogwoods in bloom signal spring is truly underway. Both native dogwood (Benthamidia Florida) and Asian kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) trees are sold and planted throughout our area.
For a time in the mid-Atlantic, native dogwoods were particularly prone to anthracnose, a fungal disease affecting native dogwoods. In our area, some nurseries stopped carrying native dogwoods because of the disease but then began carrying them again as the threat of disease seemed to have lessened and disease resistant varieties became available.
Native dogwoods bloom in April and ornamental Kousas bloom in June. Kousa dogwood has a more uniform flower with pointed petals and mottled bark.
Native dogwoods have small seed like fruits. Ornamental dogwoods produce gumball sized fruit.
Fringe Trees
Fringe trees are easy to grow sun loving trees with amazing flowers that look like, well, fringe! Fringe trees flower just as foliage unfurls and the effect is ethereal. Add to that, the subtle fragrance and blue fruits on female trees later in summer and wow! Great tree. Native fringe trees (Chionanthus virginicus) bloom in mid to late spring. .
To tell the difference, look at the flowers. The native fringe tree flowers grow on old growth and emerge behind the leaves. The flowers on the Asian fringe tree emerge at the tip of the branch. This post from Clemson has good photos of the two types of trees.
Honeysuckle vines
Native honeysuckle (Lonicera sempivirens) is a versatile vine — grow it on a mailbox post, train it to cover a fence or let it climb a wall. If you can think of it, it will probably do it. It blooms prolifically in spring and then throughout the summer and is quite manageable with a little pruning from time to time. It holds on to objects with tendrils, It is nowhere nearly as aggressive as its asian alternative, Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). Japanese honeysuckle is an aggressive vine that twirls around anything it can. The Missouri Botanical Garden calls it a “dreadful weed.”
Native honeysuckle has lighter green foliage and pink, coral or orange flowers. Japanese honeysuckle has darker green foliage and white and yellow flowers.
Please note there are also shrub honeysuckles form Europe and Asia that are also quite invasive. This four minute video from Penn State Extension gives an excellent overview of those.
Wisteria
Wisteria flowers draping from a pergola or trellis is a classic. Wisterias from China and Japan are aggressive growing vines considered invasive in Maryland. American wisteria (Wisteria frutescans) is equally beautiful but not nearly as aggressive a grower.
The flowers tell the difference. American wisteria flowers are shorter and almost pine cone shaped. Asian wisteria have long drooping flowers.
There are so many similarities between these plants yet their origin makes a world of difference!
Happy gardening.
