10 Plants I am NOT Obsessed with—and 10 Alternatives to Consider

I've picked up on a weird pressure in landscape design and all things garden that you're supposed to love all plants equally, as if having preferences makes you a bad person or worse, a plant snob. Maybe it's because plants are living things, so there is a guilt associated with playing favorites—but honestly, that's ridiculous. As a designer, I find it helpful when other professionals tell me what they actually dislike and why, rather than pretending every plant is wonderful in its own, special way. We all have strong opinions about aesthetics and functionality in every other aspect of design, and life, so why should plants be any different?

Plus, the reality is that some plants are ubiquitous—and many become accustomed to seeing or have associations with specific plants because they are sold everywhere, and so perhaps are not aware of alternatives. And because certain plants provide more ecological value than others—supporting native wildlife, improving soil, or attracting beneficial insects—while others are basically 'green' decor that contribute nothing meaningful to the environment, it’s good to call attention to it. While it may be thought that one person's garden may seem like a small contribution to the larger problem, individual choices slowly become larger trends in planting, and they actually do make a meaningful difference for ecosystems on a much larger scale.

Maybe it’s not great to say some plants are objectively terrible choices. So maybe it’s just 10 of my least favorite plants listed below with much better alternatives, because sometimes being honest is more useful than being diplomatic.

1. No to Zonal Geraniums

Why No to Zonal Geraniums?
Zonal geraniums are stuck in a 1970s time warp—perfect round balls of red, pink, or white blooms looking exactly like every plastic fisher-price flower box from my childhood. They're predictably safe and uninspiring, contributing about as much personality to your garden as a stock photograph. Plus, they're annuals in most climates, so you're paying to replant the same generic look every year that guarantees bordom.
Preferred alternative: Salvia

Yes to: Salvia

Why Salvia?
Salvia is the perennial workaholic in a garden. It starts blooming in late spring and keeps going until frost, with spikes of purple, red, pink, or white flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies like magnets. It requires almost zero maintenance once established, thriving in heat and drought conditions that would kill other perennials. Plus, it stays exactly where you plant it, and with dozens of species available, you can find one for practically any garden situation.

2. No to Mums

(like these)

Why not Traditional Mums?
Traditional mums show up everywhere in identical rust, yellow, and burgundy colors that scream "generic fall decor" rather than thoughtful design. They're reliable bloomers but with virtually no ecological value, since their heavily bred flowers produce little accessible pollen or nectar for late-season pollinators who desperately need fuel before winter. Most varieties are treated as annuals anyway, so you're paying for temporary filler that contributes nothing unique or beneficial to your garden.
Preferred alternative: Sheffield Mums and/or Aster

Yes to:

Sheffield Mums

Why ‘Sheffield’ Mums: Sheffield mums are the cool cousin of boring traditional mums, forming loose, graceful drifts of tiny daisy-like flowers instead of tight mounds. They're perennials that come back year after year, blooming late in the season when most plants are finished and spreading into attractive groundcover. Their delicate white or pale pink flowers have understated elegance that complements other plants in your landscape rather than competing for attention.

Yes to: Aster

Why Aster?
Asters are the late-season garden heroes that burst into clouds of tiny purple, pink, or white flowers just when you need them most—in Fall— attracting every butterfly and bee for the last pollinator party of the year. They're tough perennials that improve with age, forming bigger clumps and more flowers each year without much work. Plus, they make a dramatic fall statement in a landscape design without looking like Halloween decor.

3. No to: Coleus

Why not Coleus?
Coleus has bold lime greens, hot pinks, and electric purples that are tough to pair with other plants without creating a chaotic look. You'll spend your summer pinching off its unremarkable flower spikes (which don't benefit pollinators anyway) to keep the foliage looking decent. Despite needing consistent care, it collapses at the first hint of cool weather, leaving you to replant these short-lived annuals every year with little ecological benefit to landscape design and the environment.

Preferred alternative: Heuchera

Yes to:

Heuchera

Why Heuchera?
Heuchera is the reliable perennial star of the shade garden in landscape design, delivering gorgeous foliage in colors ranging from lime green to deep burgundy to silvery purple without needing flowers to look amazing, then surprises you with delicate flower spikes as a bonus. It pairs beautifully with ferns and other shade perennials to create effortlessly elegant combinations that look sophisticated and intentional.

4. BIG OY:Ornamental Cabbages

Why not Cabbage: Ornamental cabbages are basically oversized vegetables trying to pass as flowers, never quite escaping their cabbage DNA despite their ruffled purple and white leaves. They're essentially decorating with glorified lettuce that turns into soggy mush the moment winter arrives or temperatures fluctuate. For the same effort and money, you could plant actual flowers that don't look like produce and won't leave you with rotting vegetables to clean up come spring.
Preferred alternative: Liriope

Yes to: Liriope

Why Liriope?
Liriope grows practically anywhere you plant it, from full sun to deep shade, in wet soil or bone dry, never asking for anything except an annual spring haircut. It quietly provides neat, grass-like texture and purple flower spikes while shrugging off deer, drought, and neglect, making it perfect for problem spots where everything else fails. Plus, it looks better planted en masse in a landscape, creating a beautiful groundcover that’s low maintenance.

5. No to: Variegated

(almost everything)

Why not Variegated?
Variegated plants tend to slowly revert back to solid green because the green parts are more efficient, so you'll find yourself regularly pruning out the overachieving green shoots that want to take over. They also grow slower than their solid-colored cousins since they have less chlorophyll, and can be picky about light conditions, fading in too much sun or losing their patterns in shade. While they're perfectly fine plants, they require more attention to keep looking their best, which is basically signing up to be a plant editor for life.

Yes to: White flowering anything

Which White Flowering Shrubs + Perennials instead of Variegated?
Instead of dealing with high-maintenance variegated plants that constantly try to revert to green (and I am not a fan of the look anyway), consider white-flowering natives for your landscape design like Astilbe, Euphorbia, Gaura, Nepeta 'White Cloud', and Anemones that provide natural contrast without the drama. For shrubs, Viburnums, English Laurel, and Gillenia deliver structure and interest without needing constant editing. If you want silvery texture, Artemisia and Stachys 'Elephant Ears' give you gorgeous foliage that's naturally stable, or choose refined options like variegated Liriope or Miscanthus 'Morning Light' for more elegant striping.

6. No to: Sky Pencil Holly

Why not Pencil Holly?
Pencil holly is kind of like a high-maintenance drama queen that demands perfect drainage but also consistent moisture, suffers in winter, and needs constant pruning to maintain that supposedly "natural" narrow shape that looks anything but. Despite promising low-maintenance, it's prone to scale insects and root rot. You'll end up wondering why you didn't just plant something reliable like bayberry in your garden instead.
Preferred alternative: Bayberry

Yes to: Bayberry

Why Bayberry?
Bayberry thrives in terrible sandy or salty soils where other plants struggle, practically never needs watering once established, and feeds dozens of bird species with its waxy berries that smell amazing and were historically used for colonial candles. Plus, it fixes nitrogen in the soil, tolerates salt spray and harsh coastal conditions, and provides year-round structure with attractive silvery-green foliage. It's reliable, adaptable, and makes everything around it look better in both formal landscape designs and naturalized areas.

7. No to Barberry

Why not Barberry: Barberry might look like the perfect tough-guy shrub with its thorns and deer resistance, but it is a toxic bully, spreading everywhere uninvited crowding out native plants, and creates ideal habitat for ticks carrying Lyme disease. Most states have banned it from sale because it's such an aggressive invasive species. You're better off choosing native alternatives that provide the same benefits without the ecological damage or tick risks.
Preferred alternative: Smokebush

Yes to:

Smokebush

Why Smokebush?

Smokebush create stunning focal points in landscape design, with their signature feathery "smoke" plumes that float above gorgeous purple, burgundy, or golden foliage like clouds of cotton candy. They provide multi-season interest from spring flowers through brilliant fall color while being ridiculously low-maintenance once established. Plus, they're tough enough to thrive in poor soils and drought conditions, making them perfect for gardeners who want maximum drama with minimal effort.

8. (Mostly) No to Arborvitae

Why not Arborvitae? While arborvitae might seem like the easy button for instant privacy in any landscape, they're basically deer candy that loves to collect bugs like bagworms and spider mites, turning brown quickly if conditions aren't perfect. They've become so overused they're the suburban equivalent of beige walls - functional but uninspiring. Plus, they need regular watering and pest treatments while providing about as much ecological value as a plastic plant.
Preferred alternative: Hornbeam

Yes to:

Hornbeam

Why Hornbeams?
Hornbeams originated in Europe and are prevalent in most English and French parks and garden designs, making them the time-tested choice for elegant hedging that forms dense, formal screens and holds onto golden brown leaves through winter for year-round privacy. They're adaptable plants that tolerate everything from clay soil to drought while requiring almost zero maintenance thanks to their slow, steady growth and bulletproof pest resistance. As natives to many regions, they support local wildlife far better than exotic alternatives, and once established, they provide decades of gorgeous screening that just keeps improving with age.

9. No to most sad

weeping varieties of otherwise beautiful tree species

Why say no to Weeping varieties?

I've never understood the appeal of weeping trees - to me, they always look like they're having a bad day, drooping around the landscape like botanical Eeyores that have been beaten into submission. While regular trees reach confidently toward the sky with optimistic energy, weeping varieties just slouch there looking defeated, as if they've given up on life. I'd rather have trees dotting the landscape that look like they're celebrating being alive rather than perpetually mourning, especially since upright versions usually have much better structure and presence anyway.

While you can't go wrong with classic choices like Magnolias, Beeches, Maples, Oaks, Cherries, and Birches - all lovely, reliable trees that have earned their popularity - there's a world of extraordinary options most people never consider for their landscapes. Katsura trees offer heart-shaped leaves that smell like cotton candy in fall, Goldenraintree provides stunning yellow flower clusters followed by papery seed pods, and Tilia (American linden) gives you fragrant flowers with an intensely sweet, honey-like scent that attracts every bee for miles. Whether you choose these less common options or stick with the classics, any of these upright, confident trees will give your landscape more character and presence than their droopy counterparts.

10. A big NO to Marigolds

Why not Marigolds? Marigolds are the orange traffic cones of the flower world, irritatingly cheerful in shades of bright orange and yellow with all the subtlety of a construction zone. They have the aesthetic of plastic flowers and smell like herbs mixed with dirty socks. Plus, they're annuals you have to replant every year, so you're paying to fill your garden with something that looks like it escaped from a 1970s McDonald's parking lot.
Preferred alternative: Dianthus

Yes to: Dianthus

Why Dianthus?
Dianthus are charming perennials known for their delicate blooms and distinctive spicy-sweet fragrance that thrive in sandy, well-draining soil with excellent drought tolerance. Their compact, low-growing habit makes them perfect for the front of borders of planting beds, where their blue-green foliage provides structure even when not blooming. With regular deadheading, they reward you in the landscape with repeat flowering all season while attracting butterflies and beneficial pollinators, plus their seeds feed birds.