Weedy bulbous plants

Diane Whitehead voltaire@islandnet.com
Tue, 23 Nov 2010 22:09:33 PST
I think the term "invasive" has been used too freely recently. It  
suggests that a plant will invade an intact, pristine wild area.   
Occasionally this happens naturally, as when birds eat the berries we  
used to be advised to plant for them, and excrete the seeds as they  
perch on a branch.  Or the seeds of a water iris float away. However,  
too many times I have seen the results of someone trundling a  
wheelbarrow full of plants they have just dug out of their garden and  
dumping them down the road in that patch of woods.  And it's the  
plants that get the blame if they don't rot down into compost, but  
carry on growing.

I think a straightforward description of how plants increase would be  
sufficient to promote caution.  For example, "stoloniferous" always  
puts me in mind of mint, morning glory and couch grass, and I would  
try such a plant in a pot first to see how fast it travelled in my  
conditions. Its behaviour could be radically different in two gardens  
only a short distance away, as I have discovered by giving away a  
piece of something that has barely survived for me for the past ten  
years,  and it romps madly within a few months in my friend's garden.

"Seeds freely" gives the means of control - cut the flowers - get a  
reputation for generosity by giving a bouquet to each visitor.

Etc.


Diane Whitehead
Victoria, B.C.


On 23-Nov-10, at 9:20 PM, AW wrote:

>  we should not say 'invasive'  or 'weedy' etc, but we could
> say 'invasive in the region...'


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