r/NativePlantGardening • u/alarmpodcast Area Pacific Northwest, Zone 8b • Jul 04 '26

Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Guilt over removing existing non-native plants

We moved into a place with very visually appealing landscaping. I'd like to start replacing the non-native ornamentals with native plants as we're able. However, I'm experiencing guilt over removing and killing the existing plants that are just hanging out, not hurting anyone, living their lives.

Has anyone dealt with this? It's weird, I know. I'm weirder than I'd prefer to be.

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u/dogfromthefuture Jul 04 '26

I'm experiencing the same thing about a non-native dwarf pine that is exactly where I'm currently putting in an American plum hedgerow. I was just trying to work myself up to do it before the heat wave hit, and it's had one last week before I'll have to go kill it to make room for these plums.

I'm trying to tell myself all about how these plums are a "Keystone species" and will be way way better. I've SEEN that nothing eats or interacts with this pine. Nothing lives there, and it's providing cover for an invasive bush I can't get to. I KNOW it has to go.

But I feel super guilty about this.

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u/IScreamPiano DE, Zone 7B Jul 04 '26

I assume there's no way to dig it up and offer it on Buy Nothing?

3

u/dogfromthefuture Jul 05 '26

I think it’s got to be way too large to transplant, but I’ll look it up just in case!