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RE: Prairie seed For Sale

In regards to whether or not Coreopsis is native to your area you'd first
have to identify which species you have. I have seen Coreopsis palmata,
Prairie Coreopsis, growing in at least two prairie remnants in South-central
Wisconsin. As to Coreopsis tripteris and Coreopsis lanceolata, I've heard of
native stands in the Northeastern Illinois area but have never actually seen
them with my own eyes.

I personally would avoid seed if I wasn't confident I could trust the
genetic origins. The gentleman from the UW was right on when he said you
often must dig deep to find out the true genetic origins. As a person
involved professionally in the sale and distribution of local native seed, I
have found that I need to ask the right questions when ordering seed.
Assuming that the seed is locally native because you are ordering it from a
local wildflower nursery is a mistake. If you are a purist(and I am), ask
what the original source was. If it was a restoration, find out if it can be
traced to a remnant.

Corrine

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-prairie@mallorn.com [o*@mallorn.com]On
Behalf Of John Foust
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2000 7:44 AM
To: prairie@mallorn.com
Subject: Re: Prairie seed For Sale


At 09:54 PM 10/18/00 -0500, you wrote:
>I am surprised that no one has mentioned that some Stock Seed Farms
"wildflower mix /
>prairie seedings" contain (or at least used to contain as of a 1999 seeding
the owner of
>which claimed was Stock's) Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket) a Eurasian
exotic biennial
>that can be invasive in at least some settings.  The planting further
contained large
>amounts of the southwestern annual Monarda citriodora (lemon balm)

Yes, I agree.  Although I've always liked dame's rocket, I think I would've
left it out of the mix given a second chance.  I would've rather spread
a few patches of the "native" varieties I find along the roadsides.  :-)
The two were different in appearance.  The Stock version was thicker-stemmed
and a bit more showy than the ones around here.

Similarly, the lemon balm doesn't feel quite right here in Wisconsin,
either.  But I'd never seen coreopsis along a roadside, so I'm skeptical
about many of the species that others don't seem to question.
I reconcile by remembering that I'm creating an artifical recreation
no matter how I slice it.  My farm was probably a moraine covered in
oak, not a prairie.

Both the rocket and the Monarda weren't as strong this year as they
were last year, so perhaps they're fading.  But the rocket is
a two-year plant...

- John

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