5 High-Maintenance Plants That Are a Gardener’s Worst Nightmare

Mint

Mint is a useful plant. It’s a fantastic addition to recipes and adds some pizazz to water and cocktails. But advanced gardeners like Kaylyn Hewitt, lead floral designer and senior content manager for The Bouqs, often skip this one and pick up their mint at the local grocery store instead. “I can’t speak for all gardeners, but I avoid planting mint,” she tells me. “It is extremely invasive and the roots can suffocate other plants.”

However, if you’re a mint lover—there’s an easy solution to this. Hewitt advises planting mint in a separate pot.

Horseradish

If you’re a foodie who loves to garden, you might think you want to plant horseradish. But Sarah Raven, author of Sarah Raven’s Garden Cookbook and A Year Full Of Pots, says it’s best to think twice about this plant. “It’s a great and easy root to grow and transforms lots of food like beef and any smoked fish, but it is super invasive,” she says. “I remember when I started gardening, I put this and comfrey into my herb bed and have been trying to get rid of it and digging it out for 30 years ever since! Great plant, but not for the main part of a garden.”

Forget-Me-Nots

According to Raven, while forget-me-nots (Myosotis) are beautiful, it’s a flower you should probably forget about planting. She explains, “It’s so pretty and widely available and cheap in spring. You can plant it with tulips or daffodils to jolly the place up a bit at the start of the year, but unless you take them out before they set seed, you will be weeding it out of every bed in every bit of the garden for years.”

However, if you really love forget-me-nots, Raven recommends potting them in your flower yard. 

Climbing Flowers

Courtney Sixx, founder of Bouquet Box, says ivies and climbing flowers such as morning glory, honeysuckle, and wisteria can be invasive and take over. This may suffocate other plants. She explains, “Sometimes the plants they outperform are native plants,” warning this could wreak havoc on the environment.

We love a beautiful flowering vine, but do your homework on this category of plants before you move forward with anything.

Milkweed

While planting certain grasses such as milkweed is pretty standard, Sixx warns that some grasses can be invasive if they’re not native to your area, and some popular milkweeds may even carry parasites.

If you’re considering planting anything, she says it’s best to do your research before purchasing seeds, soil, or anything else you might need. It’s also a smart idea to work with a knowledgeable nursery or professional landscaper. “They will never suggest planting anything that would harm the environment, only to enhance it.”