There are many garden plants that have escaped into our local rainforests suffocating growth of native trees and threatening the existence of much of our native fauna. The Bushland Friendly Nursery Scheme is an initiative of the NSW North Coast Weeds Advisory Committee. The purpose of this scheme is to provide a guide to identification of environmental weeds, to advise on control and replacement. Below is a list of these weeds and their native alternatives.

GroundCovers
Weeds: Asparagus (Ground), Blue Billygoat Weed, Bulbil Watsonia, Canna Lily, Cuphea, Fishbone Fern, Fountain Grass, Ginger Kahili/ White Lily, Glory Lily, Hairy Commelina, Mother of Millions / Resurretion Plant, Singapore Daisy, Trad / Trad Striped.

Native Alternatives: Aneilema, Basket Grass, Beard Grass, Blue Flax Lily, Break of Day, Common Rasp Fern, Cunjevoi, Goodenia, Ground Fern, Kreysigis, Mat Rush, Spiney-Headed Mat Rush, Native Ginger, Native Trad, Native Violet, Pastel Flower, Pennywort, Pollia, River Lily, Running Postman, Soft Water Fern, Strawflower, Stream Lily, Swamp Water Fern, Evolvulus.

Vines
Weeds: Aerial Yam, Asparagus Fern, Asparagus (Climbing),Balloon Vine, Black-eyed Susan, Blue trumpet Vine, Bridal Creeper, Cape Ivy, Cat's Claw Creeper, Climbing Nightshade, Crabs-Eye Creeper, Dutchman's Pipe / Calico Flower, Japanese Honeysuckle, Kudzu, Madeira Vine, Moon Flower, Morning Glory (Blue) / (Coastal) / (Common),Moth Vine, Passionfruit (Corky), Passionfruit (White).

Native Alternatives: Blood Vine, Bower of Beauty, Climbing Guinea Flower, Corky Marsdenia, False Sasparilla, Giant Pepper Vine, Hairy Milky Vine, Headache Vine, Native Passonfruit, Pearl Vine, Sarsparilla, Scrambling Ivy, Slender Grape, Snake Vine, Star Cucumber, Toothed Clematis, Veinless Silkpod, Water Vine, Wombat Berry.

Shrubs / Scramblers
Weeds: Buddleia, Butterfly Bush, Coral Berry, Cotoneasters, Duranta, Lantana, Lantana (Creeping), Mickey Mouse Plant, Mysore Thirn, Orange Firethorn, Privet (Small Leaf), Senna (Smooth), Senna (Winter), Yellow Bells.

Native Alternatives: Beach Alectryon, Breynia, Brush Peppercorn, Caperberry, Golden-Tip, Midgenberry, Narrow-Leaved Gardenia, Narrow-Leaved Palm Lily, Native Raspberry, Orange Thorn, Prickly Alyxia, Rose- Leaf Bramble, Scrambling Caper, Sour Currant Bush, Steelwood.

Small Trees
Weeds: African Olive, Black Locust, Brazilian Cherry, Broad-Leaved pepper Tree, Chinese Tallow, Coffee, Golden Willow Wattle, Guava, Guava (Cheery), Leucaena, Loquat, Orange Jessamine, Privet (Large Leaf), Umbrella Tree.

Native Alternatives: Acetphila, Bleeding Heart, Blue Lily Pilly, Blueberry Ash, Bolwara, Brown Kurrajong, Brush Cherry, Burrawang Palm, Grey Myrtle, Hairy Psychotria, Hibiscus, Native Cottonwood, Native gardenia, Native Peach, Prickly Treefern, Rough Treefern, Silky Myrtle, Snow wood, Straw Treefern, Walking-Stick Palm, White Bolly Gum, Wild Quince.