These borders, devised by our forefathers, were done with no regard to which side of the line these native plants grew. Other problems with setting parameters for what qualifies as a native plant are the state borders. According to Cole Burrell, a recognized native plant expert from Minnesota, over 20% of the plants listed in Peterson's Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, are introductions from Europe. Similarly, while Japanese honeysuckle is well naturalized in the US, it is by no means a native. The problem, of course with this definition, is that it includes plants such as Queen Anne's Lace, ox-eye daisy, and that southern favorite kudzu, that were brought in by European settlers (and in kudzu's case, by the US Government), and have made themselves right at home. The broadest of definitions, define native plants, as those plants which occur and reproduce in an area without cultivation by man. Defining a Native PlantĪs you delve deeper into the world of native plant enthusiasts, there is a surprising lack of consensus as to what is a native plant. There are thankfully many more folks that grow native plants for a variety of other less extreme reasons. These are the folks which, with the fervor of a television evangelist, decry the elimination of lawns, the passage of laws that will only permit natives to be grown, and a concept of putting the government in charge of the environment. Some folks grow native plants out of concern for the health of the environment (environmentalists), some folks grow natives because they are concerned with the natural balance of habitats (ecologists), some grow native plants because it makes them feel good (nature lovers), and some because there are some wonderful natives with commercial and landscape potential (horticulturists).Īs with any group, the native plant movement has it's loud and radical lunatic fringe elements.
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That's about as silly as grouping folks based solely on skin color.įolks grow native plants for as many different reasons as there are folks to grow them. left wing weirdos with a desire to stifle all economic growth for the sake of a few spotted orchids. Some foes to the trend feel threatened, often by a lack of understanding, and tend to lump all native plant lovers together. The fervor over native plants has seemingly taken on a life of its own, as more folks hop onto the bandwagon.
What ever you call them, the native plant movement in this country is gaining momentum and picking up supporters from every walk of life. Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh calls them environmentalist whackos. In a 1994 New York Times article, Michael Poulan called them Eco-Nazis.
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