There are several ways to save an invasive tree and mitigate the damage it does to surrounding plants. You can give them a wide berth, let your neighbors grow them, or keep them small. Giving them enough room is possible only if you have a lot of space; what your neighbors grow is the luck of the draw; small trees, such as Japanese maples, are not too demanding because of their size, even though most full size maples are invasive.

Another way to keep an invasive tree small is to keep replacing it with its suckers. We liked the texture and fall color of this honey locust tree, but it was killing the rhododendrons around it. I cut it down, but allowed one sucker to grow from a major root. Now that it is about ten feet high, I am letting its replacement begin (left side of original stump. When the second locust becomes a problem, it will go, but the third will be ready to take over.