Question About Natives

**J* B* <j*@usol.com>**

A question occurred to me as I was working on an article for Mother  
Earth News.  I understand that the tightest definition of a "native"  
is that it grew in some area of the country before 1600.  Now I also  
know there has been considerable research to identify the ecological  
benefits of many natives in terms of hardiness, toughness, value to  
beneficial insects and songbirds, etc.
There have been a large number of cultivars bred using a true native  
as at least one parent.  The question is whether those plants bred in  
the past fifty years to improve on various native characteristics  
have the same contribution to the ecology as the parent natives.  Has  
there been any research on this issue?

Jeff Ball
jeffball@usol.com
810-724-8581
Check out my daily blog at www.gardeneryardener.blogspot.com
Check out my extensive web site at www.yardener.com

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