invasive???
Jane McGary (Thu, 15 Feb 2018 09:23:41 PST)

Regarding nativism and flora, some years ago I organized a NARGS winter
study weekend focusing on bulbs, and one of the speakers I invited was a
woman from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) who had
published on bulb importing from Turkey. I was aiming at information on
the danger of depleting natural bulb populations for commercial sales,
but what we got was a fiery talk on the danger of planting exotic
species anywhere. First thing in the morning, too: it really woke up the
audience. I have become cautious about anything put out by that
organization.

It seems that invasive plant species are more likely to be spread via
agriculture as weed seeds contaminating crop seed and animal fodder,
than to emerge from ornamental gardens. However, it's interesting to
visit other countries and observe my own "native" ornamental plants
flourishing there as weeds: California poppy (Eschscholzia californica,
and if you can spell that name better, go ahead) in Chile, where it's
popularly believed to be a native wildflower (copas de oro); Russell
lupines (Lupinus hybrids based on Pacific Northwest species) in New
Zealand and southern Patagonia.

The Crocosmia mentioned here by Robin Hansen, popularly known as
Montbretia, is common on the Oregon coast and many people think it's a
native; it is a pest there, and a clump in my neighbor's yard has seeded
through the fence. (The same neighbor planted a "wildflower mix" that
caused me a lot more trouble, mostly with a Geum.) I always try to
dissuade people from planting flower seed mixtures, which generally
contain a few ferocious self-sowers.

Jane McGary
Portland, Oregon, USA
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