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#1 |
Great Horned Owl
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Northeastern MA
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This is a good analysis of the possible ramifications of planting cultivars and hybrids. It's sympathetic and non-dogmatic, but it gets the point across.
http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com...-bad-and-ugly/
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"Know thyself." Oracle at Delphi |
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#2 |
A Bee's Best Friend
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Chicago Illinois USA
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Jack, good find. What is the point of using a plant that may not provide what the gardener has in mind for the garden. In a small urban garden each plant must serve a purpose as well as be pretty. Most plants perform multifunctions over the course of its life. These plants are altered for larger blooms or different color in the leaves to bring attention and sales. But often the loss of other not selected for traits changes the character of the plant and renders it less useful in the natural community.
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#3 | |
Great Horned Owl
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Northeastern MA
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Fortunately, I have three other open=pollinated real natives acquired from Prairie Moon earlier this year that are just beginning to bloom white. If I notice a significant difference in the effects upon wildlife, I'll remove the Dark Towers and replace them with something more natural. The truth is, they are unnatural looking anyway, in the same way I always found my former Japanese Red Maple to be unnatural.
__________________
"Know thyself." Oracle at Delphi |
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#4 | ||
WG Hospitality & UAOKA recipient
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
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This spring, I had an interesting conversation with a native plant nurseryman...he explained to me that mixing genes from the same (naturally occurring) species with another (naturally occurring) from a distant location will result in a first generation that shows more vigor, but subsequent generations become weaker. I'm not sure I explained it as well as he did, and I'm curious what others think...and what evidence based science will back that up....I've been meaning to start a thread about it. If I don't soon, feel free to remind me. Quote:
I've yet to remove the Japanese maple in our yard (I didn't plant it!)...but I've been waiting for a blackgum I planted near by, to get big enough to replace it. A week or so ago, I found a nest in it! This is the first time in 3 1/2 years that anything nested in it. I believe I have a pair of cardinals, but I'll have to keep my eyes open to be sure. I still want it removed, but I want a native of good size to replace it. Twice now, I've found a seedling or two sprouting 10-15 ft. away from the parent plant--so, they could escape cultivation--I hate the idea of seeing that unnatural color out in the wild!
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"If suburbia were landscaped with meadows, prairies, thickets or forests, or combinations of these, then the water would sparkle, fish would be good to eat again, birds would sing and human spirits would soar." ~ Lorrie Otto ~ A Native Backyard Blog ~ |
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#5 | |
Great Horned Owl
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Northeastern MA
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__________________
"Know thyself." Oracle at Delphi |
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#6 |
WG Hospitality & UAOKA recipient
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
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Wow! I guess I'll have to do it sooner than I expected...but I won't be swinging an ax any time soon with aan active nest in the tree.
__________________
"If suburbia were landscaped with meadows, prairies, thickets or forests, or combinations of these, then the water would sparkle, fish would be good to eat again, birds would sing and human spirits would soar." ~ Lorrie Otto ~ A Native Backyard Blog ~ |
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Tags |
cultivars, open, pollinated, selections |
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