Re: Plants banned

Robert,
 
As in MO, I can't even get the darn stuff to live in Louisville, KY.  I have planted it twice (yep, nurseries sell it here) and it died both times!  I put in the same class as much of the other plant material that the "alarmists" rant about.  Bush honeysuckle; euonymus; etc.  No one but me and the lawn care people seem to be against dandylions.  ;^)
 
M. Dean Hunt
Louisville, KY zone 6b
 
----- Original Message -----
From: r*@sbcglobal.net
To: i*@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 9:06 AM
Subject: Re: [iris-species] Plants banned

 

A couple of years back I learned a lesson in public policy. Lythrum is a bright magenta-pink flower that has become profuse in many wetlands of the Northeast. Since it is a very conspicuous garden plant it is easy to note its increase in these natural areas. It has been banned as an invasive through much of the country. Here in Missouri it suffers from our hot summers and only does well in our gardens if given good care. Before giving a talk on Rock gardening to a local garden club I had to sit through their buisiness meeting. They read a letter from a local environmental group urging them to write to the state Dept of Conservation to have the plant banned. There was some discussion as to what Lythrum was since none of them had ever seen it, but the conclusion was they would all go home and write their letters. The next year Lythrum was banned as a garden plant. I thought to myself we are all in trouble if this is how our government works. I would not dispute the need to control Lythrum in cool wet climates but it seemed downright silly to do so in Missouri. I can remember in my travels between Columbia and St Louis over a period of 30 years two ponds that were right next to each other. One was totally ringed with Lythrum the other was totally devoid of Lythrum. After observing for 25 years the Lythrum from the one pond never made the 15 ft trip to the second pond. Obviously the Lythrum was not a terrible threat in our climate. The Conservation Dept. trying to prove their case could only find a couple of seedlings in one of our wild rivers. Yet based on this evidence and the writing campaigns Lythrum was banned. Truthfully I am not sure it really means much since many of the people that enforce these rules often would not know a Lythrum plant if they saw it. Opium poppies are banned in the USA but I can go to any Walmart and buy Peony flowered Poppies and it seems no one knows the difference.



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