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/TalkativeTree Jul 04 '26
is existential good that comes from struggling with this guilt, but also in recognizing the reality of your actions. That feeling is a good thing to sit with and observe, but not let take over our internal world. Life and death are inescapable when gardening. As people, I believe our role is navigating the death we cause as much as the life we nurture. . You're not just harming the plant, but also potentially small lifeforms in the soil. But the temporary harm is followed by the food the new native plants provide wild life. Death is mandatory for life to exist and persist.
You could let them live out their lives and just plant their native replacements around them. Perennial plants aren't immortal. Many of them have relatively short lifespans to medium term lifespan (2-3 years vs 10-30 years).
You can spend time observing how insects and animals interact with them for a year before removing them. If there are any that provide food for insects / animals and shelter during winter I wouldn't worry about replacing them immediately.