Re: Question About Natives

**C* U* <c*@sbcglobal.net>**

Then there's the issue of genotypes. Some prairie restorationists  
will only use seed that has been collected in their immediate area  
because that seed comes from plants that have evolved in that  
particular location over the centuries and thus is best adapted to  
their climate and soil. Thus a friend of mine who is heavy into  
prairie restoration would refuse to use northwestern Iowa Joe Pye  
weed in the southeastern Iowa area where she's working. The  
exception, I assume, would be if 1)  Joe Pye weed seed could only be  
found in northwestern Iowa and 2) historical records showed that Joe  
Pye weed was growing in southeastern Iowa at the time of settlement  
and so they really want to reintroduce the plant. Then she would  
compromise.

Carolyn Ulrich
On Aug 11, 2007, at 4:19 PM, Jeff Ball wrote:

> Thank you all very much.  It's so great having colleagues so readily
> available to help clear up a question in a very professional manner.
>
> My question was something of a setup and for that I apologize a
> little bit.  When I have someone tell me that I MUST use native
> plants in a certain situation, e.g. rain garden, they might think
> they are recommending plants that existed in 1600 in my area.   Now I
> know different.  Whether the fan of "natives" is willing to admit it
> or just ignore reality, I don't care.  For me as a garden writer a
> native is any plant that has in its genes some percentage of a plant
> that in fact existed in my area in 1600.  That new "native" may be
> the third or fourth generation but if it contains much the same
> important characteristics of a true native, then it goes into my
> garden as a "native".  My native plant is not "native" because it
> actually existed in 1600.  It is a native because one or more parents
> is a plant that existed in 1600 and will usually have many of
> beneficial characteristics that made that "original" native valuable
> to the ecosystem.
>
> Am I getting close?
>
> 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
>
>
>
> On Aug 11, 2007, at 7:14 AM, jo ellen meyers sharp wrote:
>
> Hi, Jeff -- I think you need to define native...North America native?
> Eastern U.S. native? Michigan native? A plant that is native to the
> northwest U.S. would be considered exotic in New York.
>
> I give several talks about native plants and attracting wildlife. I
> also talk about garden worthy native plants. Some native species,
> such as purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) are garden worthy just
> as they are, but others are not because they are too large rangy for
> gardens, or they get diseases like powdery mildew. That's where
> cultivars or selections come in. Although anectodal, I can attest
> that monarchs cover my 'Raydon's Favorite' aster (A. oblongifolius)
> and 'Fireworks' goldenrod (Solidago rugosa).
>
> jems
>
>
>
>
>> 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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>
>
> -- 
> Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
> Garden writer, author, photographer
> Region III Director Garden Writers Association
> Phone: (317) 251.3261
> Fax: (317) 251.8545
> E-mail: hoosiergardener@sbcglobal.net
>
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