When you are purchasing plants for your own property be sure to purchase native or non-invasive plants.  Did you know that many garden centers and nurseries still sell invasive plants like burning bush (Euonymus alatus) that can escape your gardens and spread to natural areas?  

Burning bush in landscape planting

Photos by Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org

The Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia provide recommendations for native plants to use instead of invasives. For example, the native highbush blueberry is a beautiful native shrub that can be used instead of the invasive burning bush.  

The Virginia Native Plant Society has regional guides to native plants that you can download for free. The Piedmont Native Plants guide covers the Rockfish Valley area.  

Also, check the contents of seed mixes and use only those without invasive plants and with native plants that are local to the area where you live.