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Very true, dear Jane. And while I mentioned  European prehistoric trade, I believe there are studies of the abundance of species alone that traveled throughout the continent on Roman soldier's sandals.

I don't grow natives because I think they are preferable to exotics. I grow natives when they fit into my garden plan.
I have a real interest in Ericaceae as a family; and 10 gerera happen to be native to my county; and 1 or 2 other genera are native to the Willamette valley.

The native trees were here before I was and I saw no reason to remove them. The other natives I grow just fit my sense of what looks good together.

Martin - good subject,  hopefully informative. 

You may know that the definition of native is quite different from one geographical place to another, and as such in MN, one of the 52 states here in the US is this: In Minnesota, plants are considered native if they occurred here at the time of the Public Land Survey (1847- 1907), which was conducted prior to and during the early stages of European settlement.
We all know that the American Natives have been here way before 1800s and some of the plants that were common in this area were described by the Natives. Were used by them as well. So this term is a bit ambiguous, if not confusing. There are over 1700 native plants in MN and many of them are flowering type. There are movements to garden with natives, but of course gardening here in MN is not the same as gardening in CA and not at all as gardening in EU.

For brevity of discussion, for many people native plants means "what you find in the woods and on the fields", and if the woods are named XXX woods - then you can even bring those plants home. 

I have in my garden Triliums, Arisema triphyllum, Gentian, Anemone, Antennaria neglecta,  Liatris aspera, Cypripendium reginae, Lilium michiganense, Lilium lancifolium, Lilium phyladelphicum, Claytonia, Asclepias tuberosa and incarnata, Geum triflorum, Thalictroides tall and short, Lobelia cardinalis, Calirhoe triangulata, and I can go on with about 450 more....and this would only be a part of what is native, all colors you may like ( the Gentian is black on blue ) 

And Minnesota is not a singular state, many states have similarly rich flora. You can garden such that through the entire season there is something blooming, or all of the same color at once.

And then you can go Japanese style, and have no flowers at all, only shades and textures of green.

The strangest thing though is finding these natives far, far away from this place, much easier than finding them here. 

A couple of links to browse through, so many beautiful and colorful flowers, who can name them all?  

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/page/flowers-by-color/blue

https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/mcbs/natural_vegetation_of_mn.pdf

Quote from: Luminita on April 26, 2022, 08:07:06 AMMartin - good subject,  hopefully informative.

You may know that the definition of native is quite different from one geographical place to another, and as such in MN, one of the 52 states here in the US is this: In Minnesota, plants are considered native if they occurred here at the time of the Public Land

Luiminta,

When you speak of 52 States, are you including DC and Puerto Rico?

There are only 50 states.

Washing DC is defined as a Federal District and  Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth.

As for native we are all mostly non-native to where we live.  I've this conversation with many gardeners.

I grow native and non-native plants

  - yes, I was quick to say 52, and did not add ...and jurisdictions..... sorry if that may cause confusion.
DC is not a state, and neither is PuertoRico. I hope you found all the other things were accurate and stood up to scrutiny!
Luminita

I do grow a lot of natives, among many many other things.  A mix of everything and it doesn't necessarily have to be beauteous - just interesting; diversity breeds diversity, in plants, insects, animals, soil flora, fungi .... it's a wonderful thing. 

Nevertheless, I don't knock the current bee frenzy.  It's a gateway to learning ecosystems and how nature works in general.  For some, "bees" are as far as they will go (better than not at all); for others, it will spark further intrigue for nature that is everywhere in our surroundings.

@Luminita : funny to see 2 local natives of Germany I actually grow myself in that first Minnesota blues line: Vinca minor and Centaurea montana both have a bit of a weedy reputation, but I find both beautiful and useful. I'm afraid in Germany Minnesota is mostly known for naive Rose Nyland's hometown of Saint Olaf - so sad that Betty White passed away only weeks before her 100th birthday.

The status of Puerto Rico always puzzles Europeans. it seems to be a very strange construct.

@Martin Bohnet : I have 2 Vinca minor clumps, one blue and one purple, distinctly different. They are a ground cover and bloom for a long time. However in CA it is listed as invasive. Using this perspective of what is native and what is invasive depending of the state you're in, sort of influences  what your garden contains. Each state has a different list of invasives and degree of invasiveness. And some people have no idea about any of this.
Then we get the case of the Siberian squill!

I have purple ones, too - the one I posted is what I consider a wild form, gathered in one of the forests around - commercially used forest, not wildlife reservation, mind you. and it grew abundant.

Quote from: Luminita on April 26, 2022, 02:44:06 PM   - yes, I was quick to say 52, and did not add ...and jurisdictions..... sorry if that may cause confusion.
DC is not a state, and neither is PuertoRico. I hope you found all the other things were accurate and stood up to scrutiny!
Luminita

In Scripture, when a future event is spoken of as already accomplished, it attests to the certainty of its happening.
Perhaps Luminta was being prophetic [with or without intent]

Here in Oregon, Vinca minor is not listed as invasive,;but, it is very weedy. It is fairly easy to control by vigilant cutting back.

Quote from: Martin Bohnet on April 26, 2022, 09:28:29 PM@Luminita : funny to see 2 local natives of Germany I actually grow myself in that first Minnesota blues line: Vinca minor and Centaurea montana both have a bit of a weedy reputation, but I find both beautiful and useful. I'm afraid in Germany Minnesota is mostly known for naive Rose Nyland's hometown of Saint Olaf - so sad that Betty White passed away only weeks before her 100th birthday.

The status of Puerto Rico always puzzles Europeans. it seems to be a very strange construct.

@Martin Bohnet : A lot of German communities in Minnesota, and a predominantly culture specific to Germany: food, customs, speaking, religion, names, genetics, you name it!   And about Puerto Rico - it would be nice if it was the only thing to be puzzled about ! Imagine that people can go to war at 18 but not drink until 21. And it was only recently, like 1971 that 18 year olds were allowed to vote at 18! Amend 26! That is a big puzzle!

Hmm, in almost entirely man-altered San Francisco, a few natives persist. A few weeds are apparently natives! I had a volunteer Miner's Lettuce (I hope it sets seed). California Poppy (certainly from planted seed), and a tiny volunteer evergreen oak in the back yard.

I have planted a fair number of natives among the worldwide mediterranean mostly geophytes...and they do hang in there, both in the partly irrigated yard, and in the tended but not irrigated median strip, but I don't count those until they self-seed or take off after getting established. So the usual ornamental annuals.

Robert

My place was a 5-acre corn field about 40 years ago.  There were a few sugar maple trees and some poison ivy.  Everything else I have planted, even native species of wild flowers like Trillium recurvatum was brought in from 15 miles away.  Crop fields came very close to being quite sterile.

Some Claytonia virginica has naturalized under  European linden trees that I planted after we built the house.  They look quite nice now.  Other native wild flowers I transplanted into what was a corn field have not done so well.  Other species of trillium barely survive here.  Arisaema also barely survive. 

On the other hand, I hired a friend's son to pull up and cut down loads of Amur Honeysuckle.

Jim