# Native plants for Framingham yards: 9 swaps for the shrubs Massachusetts banned

Framingham is home to Garden in the Woods, a 45-acre garden of New England native plants. Here is what the state no longer allows for sale, and what to plant instead.

Gerson's Landscaping, Framingham, MA. Updated 2026-10-31.

## The short answer

- Massachusetts bans the sale, import and propagation of plants on its Prohibited Plant List, including burning bush, Japanese barberry and Norway maple.
- Plants already in your yard are not affected. You just can't buy more.
- Garden in the Woods, at 180 Hemenway Road in Framingham, shows more than 1,000 New England native species on 45 acres.

## What the state's list does, and doesn't do

MDAR's Prohibited Plant List covers listed plants and all their cultivars, varieties and hybrids. They can't be sold, imported, traded or propagated in Massachusetts, even if you bring them from another state.

Existing plantings are fine. If a barberry hedge loses a section, though, you can't buy barberry to fill the gap. MDAR names winterberry as a good substitute.

The list keeps growing. Its February 27, 2026 update has phase-outs for Callery (Bradford) pear, through December 31, 2028, and Chinese silver grass, also sold as maiden grass, through December 31, 2026.

## 9 native swaps, from UMass Extension

UMass Extension's list of alternatives marks which ones are native. These are the native picks for three banned favorites.

1. For burning bush red fall color: red chokeberry.
2. For burning bush: highbush blueberry, with spring flowers, berries and red fall leaves.
3. For burning bush: Virginia sweetspire, a smaller shrub with fragrant summer flowers.
4. For burning bush: American cranberrybush viburnum, with red berries in fall.
5. For Japanese barberry: winterberry, the swap MDAR itself suggests.
6. For Japanese barberry red fall color: Virginia sweetspire or highbush blueberry.
7. For Norway maple shade: red maple.
8. For Norway maple: sugar maple, with yellow-orange fall color.
9. For Norway maple: red oak.

## See them growing in Framingham first

Garden in the Woods, run by the Native Plant Trust, is a naturalistic garden of New England natives at 180 Hemenway Road. Its 2026 fall hours run Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., until November 22. Walk the loop with a notebook before you buy.

> Near a salted road or driveway? Red maple and sugar maple are salt-sensitive, so pick red oak for that spot.

## Swap a bed for natives

Call or text Gerson about planting and bed care. Call or text (781) 866-0850.

## About Gerson's Landscaping

Gerson's Landscaping is a landscaping business based in Framingham, Massachusetts, owned by Gerson E. Paniagua, offering lawn care, clean-ups, mulching, snow removal, stone walls and bluestone patios. Gerson speaks English and Spanish.

## Sources

- MDAR, Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (updated Feb 27, 2026): https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-prohibited-plant-list (read 2026-10-31)
- MDAR, Prohibited Plant List FAQ: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/prohibited-plant-list-faq (read 2026-10-31)
- UMass Extension, Hort Notes: Massachusetts Prohibited Plants and Non-Invasive Alternatives: https://www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/landscape/news/hort-notes-massachusetts-prohibited-plants-non-invasive-alternatives (read 2026-10-31)
- Native Plant Trust, Garden in the Woods (Framingham): https://nativeplanttrust.org/garden-in-the-woods/ (read 2026-10-31)
- UMass Extension, The Impact of Salts on Plants: https://www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/landscape/fact-sheets/impact-of-salts-on-plants-how-to-reduce-plant-injury-from-winter-salt-applications (read 2026-10-31)