Re: Invasive perennials

The thing is, Kate, that not all plants are overly vigorous in every
part of this country or the world.  Location has a great deal to do
with whether a plant gets to act on its plans for world domination
(and all plants, except the most expensive, have those secret plans).
 "Invasive" is a term that really only applies to a smallish group of
plants - primarily weeds - listed by the USDA.  Unfortunately, it's
being applied to any plant that exceeds a gardener's bounds these
days.  

For instance, I once received an email from a woman in the PNW who
had read my article on Arum Italicum and was sure that was the plant
that was over running her garden.  I couldn't believe it, since my
one clump has remained about the same size for nearly 20 years, so I
wrote back with a list of other possibilities.  She emailed me a
photograph of her pest and sure enough, it was Arum Italicum...and a
really lovely example of same.

Well, I posted on Aroid-L and received several replies.  Most people
only wished they could get this plant to grow, but I was told that in
the PNW and northern CA, it can, in the right conditions, become a
pest.  Amazing!  I told the woman the results of my query and
suggested she go on Ebay and sell them as there is a market out there
getting upwards of $10each for them:-)

So, your thug may be my precious child who is hanging on to life by
it's toenails and one list does not fit all:-)

Key words to keep in mind in plant descriptions that could indicate
that you might have a potential problem are:

Vigorous
Easy
Spreads

Anybody got any others?  If a plant is easy to grow, chances are it
bears watching until you know how it will behave in your garden.  The
*only* way to really know is to grow it.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
-----------------------------------------------
Current Article: Wild, Wonderful Aroids Part 4 - Arisaema
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/shade_gardening
------------------------------------------------
Complete Index of Articles by Category and Date
http://mtalt.hort.net/article-index.html
------------------------------------------------
All Suite101.com garden topics :
http://www.suite101.com/topics.cfm/635

----------
> From: Tom Wilson <logicpilot@worldnet.att.net>
> 
> I was just about to ask if anyone has a list of invasive
perennials?  Like
> the Artemisa I didn't realize it would be this invasive.  Is there
a book or
> list of these for gardeners?  It would be especially great for the
new
> gardeners - who have to learn from experience and this list would
sure save
> them some heart break and some back breaking experiences.  Even my
phlox -
> which I've let go to seed too many years are becoming a pain.  I
need to cut
> them back after flowering so they don't send their seeds all over
my garden.
> Although, some places they come up are really nice.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index