Gardeners have their preferences…even when it comes to plants. Only 11% of the world likes the Rabbit’s Foot Fern. The Happy Alien plant (14%) and the Brain Cactus (6%) are just funky. And nobody likes the Cobra Lily (0%).

Those plants are real, but I made up those percentages. They’re all weird anyway.

Some people don’t like certain plants because they’re invasive, messy, stinky, ugly, high maintenance, or highly poisonous. Or cause skin rashes or allergies. Or attract lots of pests. Or are difficult to grow, or keep alive. Or all of the above. Insert your reason here.

Difficult to rebloom, orchids and hybrid tea roses are not popular with many people. Yes, they require some extra effort, but they’re among my favorites.

Members of the aster or daisy family are usually allergen-heavy. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, amaranth, Bermuda grass, chrysanthemums, cypress, juniper, Kentucky bluegrass, olive, pine, ragweed, sagebrush, and sycamore are among the worst plants for allergies. Sensitivities vary.

Some plants cause skin rashes, red splotches, bumps, blistering, skin swelling, or severe itching. Examples: agave, milkweed, plumbago, poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, ragweed, stinging nettles, and the nightshade family.

The Bradford (ornamental) pear tree produces an abundance of white, somewhat foul-smelling, blossoms in spring. When it was introduced in 1964, according to the US Department of Agriculture, “it was well known that this tree possessed the weakest branch structure in nature.” During the evacuations of the 2007 Witch Creek fire, our Bradford blew over onto our truck as we were backing out of the driveway. This tree gets an “F” and should be discontinued.

To me, petunias have an annoying fragrance because of their sticky, gooey sap.

But wait…there’s more: allium, butterfly flower, cleome, geranium, mountain ash, paperwhite narcissus, skunk cabbage, and stinkweed also have an obnoxious odor.

Cauliflower needs a long growing season and doesn’t like weather that’s too hot or too cold. It likes its porridge just right. They also need to be blanched, a process to make the outer leaves cover the vegetable’s head. The leaves must then be kept tied until the vegetable has matured.

Also, the nooks and crannies are the ideal hideouts for aphids, cabbage worms, flea beetles, leaf hoppers, slugs, snails…pretty much the entire insect world. For me, it’s a royal pain in the patootie. For others, it’s a royal delight.

Lombardy poplar trees are columnar-shaped deciduous trees. They are not the most attractive, but then again, ugly is in the eye of the beholder. Their invasive roots eat drainage pipes, and continue to produce multiple suckers long after the tree is cut down. They are also allergenic since they produce an abundance of pollen. These trees often get canker disease, and it’s a magnet for aphids, borers, caterpillars, willow beetles, and a cast of thousands. These trees meet the horticultural 3 strikes law.

Miniature roses are a challenge to grow. If your home doesn’t have a well-circulated room with sun-facing windows, then invest in a small army of appliances — a grow light, a small fan, and a humidifier. They will grow fine outdoors with approximately 23 hours of daily care. Those precious blooms won’t last more than two weeks indoors, so enjoy them every waking moment.

Venus Flytraps have very sensitive roots. If you keep them indoors, feed them some mealworms or crickets. That’s right…you feed them the bugs they were hired to kill. The fussy Flytraps should be watered with distilled or rainwater. Water it too much and it will die. Water it too little and it will die. Water it just right and it will die. I don’t know how they survived the car ride home

African violets take one look at me and start coughing. They need humidity. They need light, but not full sun. They need water, but from the bottom of the pot. They need plant food, but it has to be a special kind. They hate my singing and usually die within two weeks of bringing them home.

Some other plants that are somewhat difficult to grow: Boston fern, celery, croton, fiddle-leaf fig tree, Madagascar dragon tree, and prayer plant.

There are many poisonous plants in California. Examples: apples (seeds), rhubarb (leaves), Angel’s trumpet, azalea, English yew, lantana, lupine, mistletoe, oleander, toyon, and the castor oil plant.

Some plants are invasive: bamboo, fennel, Algerian, Cape, English, German, & Italian ivies; highway ice plant, mint, pampas grass, Scotch thistle, and water hyacinth.

This is not to discourage you in any way from growing these plants. Learn which plants best suit your needs. I believe almost every plant has something good to offer. Sometimes you just have to look reeeeeally hard for it.

Sometimes you need to give them a second chance…except the Bradford (-90%).

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