The most ugly plant in gardens?

[LauraMoser]

I'm just wondering what flowers/plants every one hates. For me, I pretty much hate hosta, although I do want to break up the huge patch of them that came with our new house and spread them along the back fence. They are well suited to fill in that specific area.

[treedimensional]

Pretty subjective, but I'm not fond of Mahonia or Nandina. And I rarely see a nice-looking bed of Pachysandra.
Many times, I see Hostas in dry, full-sun conditions, and of course, they look like do-do. In general, I hate roses, because they're always spotty and I hate the thorns. I'm also not nuts about Juniper.
Having said all that, my opinion can and does change when the aforementioned plants are healthy and well-tended, and they're part of a well thought-out design.

[mouse]

Rhodendron and azaleas. They're pretty enough when they're in bloom but full of pollen. And that only lasts three weeks and the rest of the year they're this sad, droopy leaves *thing*. My mom had one rhodie with nice, small, round, dark green leaves. It's the only one I've seen like that. The rest are the oblong that turn yellowish sick color easily. A well-tended azalea isn't as bad, but they get tarnished by their cousins.

I'm also not a fan of impatiens. I'm not sure why. I think maybe the screaming neon colors that try so hard to be substantial on this little nothing plant. They're not too awful in like a hanging basket or something, but around here old people (for some reason its always old people) skirt their houses with a stripe. Alternating red and white, of course. Whhhhy?

I love my native roses (Nootka or baldhip it's hard to tell the difference). They never get black spot and their blossoms smell like honey. The biggest problem is the runners they send out. But many hybrid teas make me go huh? Especially a row of spindly looking ones fronted by a row of impatiens.

[NitaX]

Boxwood. It's boring and overused as a foundation planting.
Plant I detest with the passion of 10,000 red hot suns, Privet. I HATE IT. It's invasive here and the god awful scent drives my allergies into overdrive. If I could have a genie grant me a wish, it would be the first wish I made.

[mrsreynolds4]

Juniper. It was planted everywhere around here in the 70s when the neighborhoods were built up. Rarely I see one that is trimmed well, but most of them are snarly, scraggly piles of ewww that attract mosquitos & collect trash.

[vccake]

I think some plants are like using velvet as a decorating tool: it's good only in small and interesting doses. Azaleas and rhods - ok in small doses or planted strategically. I also think plants need to be properly pruned and guided. I have a few bushes that I literally twine tighter so encourage bushiness -- I have others that I hand prune bc they look nice 'leggy' and manicured.

One exception is I love barberry. But they hurt! So I don't plant them.

[treedimensional]

Random observation about the responses: I'm surprised by some of the reasons people give for not liking things, because the reasons either don't make sense to me, or they contradict my own experience with the plant(s) mentioned.

[krisandgrace]

Berginia
Jacob's ladder
Basket of Gold Alyssum
Smoke Bush
Castor Bean Plant

I have no good reason- just don't like them.

[pinkroses]

Yews drive me nuts. Most that I see are way too big and cut into unnatural shapes.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Boxwood. I think it smells like cat pee and it makes me want to gag.

ETA - and juniper too, same reason.

[Deleted]

I hate hibiscus but I spent the first 6 months I lived in guam being stalked by the bees who lived in them.

I also hate short palm trees because my hair used to get stuck in them.

[vanillahip]

I've been thinking about this for a while but I just can't think of anything I "hate". I just play around with gardening though, so my knowledge is limited to begin with, but I can't think of any single plant that I dislike in any/all circumstances or gardens. In MY yard, however, I'm not a fan of yew, juniper or barberry and wouldn't ever plant sunflowers. But they can be really pretty in other settings!

[Deleted]

Bottlebrush trees. They are pretty when the bloom, but not so much the rest of the time.

[pugz]

I am generally not a fan of impatiens either but got a different kind this year that are hardier and have more substantial flowers.

I think pansies and petunias look cheap

[Deleted]

Agapanthus. I am so sick of that plant. Everyone and his brother has a yard full of it here. Can't stand looking at it anymore in any setting. At least it's low water I suppose...

[treedimensional]

Some of these are LOL funny.
I'm really scratching my head at others:
"I don't like short palms because my hair used to get caught in them"
How? Were they planted too close to the sidewalk? Did you live in a palm forest? :::trying to picture one of my 3 short my palm trees reaching out to grab my hair as I walk past:::

[Deleted]

IDK, however they planted them in Guam. They were everywhere there and I couldn't duck under or around one without having to pull my hair out.

I was 11 though so there you go.

[ssmjlm]

Azaleas-not a fan and they are EVERYWHERE around here.

We have a row of them and $$$ is the only thing keeping me from ripping all of them out and replanting.

[heartmama]

May 26, 2012 8:07:49 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

Pretty subjective, but I'm not fond of Mahonia or Nandina. And I rarely see a nice-looking bed of Pachysandra.
Many times, I see Hostas in dry, full-sun conditions, and of course, they look like do-do. In general, I hate roses, because they're always spotty and I hate the thorns. I'm also not nuts about Juniper.
Having said all that, my opinion can and does change when the aforementioned plants are healthy and well-tended, and they're part of a well thought-out design.

We might be long lost sisters. I agree with everything. I do love hostas though, in a nice bed, varied styles and in shade where they can get big and beautiful. I also think they need to be planted with things like ferns and astilbe or other shade perennials.

[heartmama]

May 30, 2012 21:03:34 GMT -5 pugz said:

I am generally not a fan of impatiens either but got a different kind this year that are hardier and have more substantial flowers.

I think pansies and petunias look cheap

I hate pansies and petunias, I agree they usually look scraggly and yucky unless they are in a hanging basket.

I love, love, love impatiens, which is and UO, but really 1, they are the only flower that grows in my shady front yard, and 2 if you plant enough of them they look super pretty.

And, I usually do the lavender, but this year I went with red and white, please don't hate me.

[mouse]

Jun 4, 2012 15:48:32 GMT -5 heartmama said:

May 30, 2012 21:03:34 GMT -5 pugz said:

I am generally not a fan of impatiens either but got a different kind this year that are hardier and have more substantial flowers.

I think pansies and petunias look cheap

I hate pansies and petunias, I agree they usually look scraggly and yucky unless they are in a hanging basket.

I love, love, love impatiens, which is and UO, but really 1, they are the only flower that grows in my shady front yard, and 2 if you plant enough of them they look super pretty.

And, I usually do the lavender, but this year I went with red and white, please don't hate me.

That's it, you're on my list!

Actually, as soon as I said I don't like impatiens I started noticing some varieties with darker, more intriguing foliage. I'll reconsider my hate.

[heartmama]

Jun 5, 2012 12:49:07 GMT -5 mouse said:

Jun 4, 2012 15:48:32 GMT -5 heartmama said:

I hate pansies and petunias, I agree they usually look scraggly and yucky unless they are in a hanging basket.

I love, love, love impatiens, which is and UO, but really 1, they are the only flower that grows in my shady front yard, and 2 if you plant enough of them they look super pretty.

And, I usually do the lavender, but this year I went with red and white, please don't hate me.

That's it, you're on my list!

Actually, as soon as I said I don't like impatiens I started noticing some varieties with darker, more intriguing foliage. I'll reconsider my hate.

Oops, well, yeah usually here the only colors I ever find are red, white, lavender, magenta, and peach. I am partial, but mine are really pretty. When they grow in all the way, I'll post some pics.

[treedimensional]

Jun 4, 2012 15:44:57 GMT -5 heartmama said:

May 26, 2012 8:07:49 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

Pretty subjective, but I'm not fond of Mahonia or Nandina. And I rarely see a nice-looking bed of Pachysandra.
Many times, I see Hostas in dry, full-sun conditions, and of course, they look like do-do. In general, I hate roses, because they're always spotty and I hate the thorns. I'm also not nuts about Juniper.
Having said all that, my opinion can and does change when the aforementioned plants are healthy and well-tended, and they're part of a well thought-out design.

We might be long lost sisters. I agree with everything. I do love hostas though, in a nice bed, varied styles and in shade where they can get big and beautiful. I also think they need to be planted with things like ferns and astilbe or other shade perennials.

I do like hostas, I was responding more to someone else's complaint about them looking bad. I see a lot of hostas that look bad because of where they were planted, and no other reason. But I do actually like hostas & grow them in my garden.
: )

[heartmama]

Jun 6, 2012 8:00:03 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

Jun 4, 2012 15:44:57 GMT -5 heartmama said:

We might be long lost sisters. I agree with everything. I do love hostas though, in a nice bed, varied styles and in shade where they can get big and beautiful. I also think they need to be planted with things like ferns and astilbe or other shade perennials.

I do like hostas, I was responding more to someone else's complaint about them looking bad. I see a lot of hostas that look bad because of where they were planted, and no other reason. But I do actually like hostas & grow them in my garden.
: )

ITA, I see so many hostas in the full sun and they are very sad looking. I don't think most people realize what they are missing when they put them in the sun.

[Deleted]

I like anything that will grow in my property which is almost 100% shade, so that's not much.