Homeowner pleads for advice on serious landscaping issue: 'It looks very daunting'

A user on Reddit has a long battle ahead with a highly invasive plant species in their new yard.

In a post made to the r/gardening subreddit, the OP shared images of a Mexican petunia plant in the front yard of their new home.

The Reddit gardening community helped a new homeowner deal with a pesky Mexican petunia plant in their yard. Photo Credit: Reddit

As the OP explained in their post, this invasive bush could derail their plans for a native garden.

Planting native species is a great way to promote local pollinators while minimizing upkeep due to the garden being in its natural habitat.

“I want to do a native species desert garden to attract pollinators,” the OP shared.

Homeowners in humid regions, such as the OP, can significantly cut lawn care and mowing costs by planting desert gardens with native plants suited to the local environment.

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Invasive species like the Mexican petunia can pose serious threats to a homeowner’s yard and the surrounding area. Once established, they spread rapidly, outcompeting native plants for sunlight, water, and nutrients.

By contrast, native landscaping offers long-term rewards that go far beyond visual aesthetics with its monetary, time-saving, and environmental benefits.

For homeowners seeking low-maintenance, eco-friendly lawn alternatives, several options can be implemented beyond just a native garden. Clover lawns, buffalo grass, and xeriscaping are all excellent choices that grow naturally in their local environments.

Even replacing a small section of the yard with native plants can lower maintenance needs and boost soil health while creating a thriving ecosystem for pollinators. Humans rely on pollinators to help protect our food supply.

The OP went on to say that they fear the Mexican petunia will choke out everything they plant. However, they have no clue where to start when it comes to removing this massive bush.

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“It looks very daunting and I have no clue where to begin,” they ended their post.

The comment section offered some advice and words of encouragement.

“You should wet the area and pull up everything. Then, lay heavy black plastic for [two] weeks over the whole area to take out the seeds,” one user suggested.

“Get a decent size garden fork and dig the whole thing out,” another commenter added.

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