[APWG] Plants Indigenous Native and Alien Re: 2008 12-21 letter to Dereck Fell

[Wayne Tyson]

The library has in its collection the Encyclopedia of Hardy Plants, a book by Derek Fell, copyright date 2007, published by Firefly Books, LTDAll:

A very nice letter. I hope that Mr. Fell responds favorably. 

However, the history of invasions of other plants and organisms is full of such cases where plant fanciers want to overrule Nature or God or reality, and place plants according to their desires wherever they want them. "Hardy" is hardly a sufficient criterion for living with Nature; often the term's meaning to gardeners is limited to whether or not a plant will freeze in a given area. 

It is ironic that the more "hardy" an alien plant is--that is, the more suited the new environment it is, the more likely it is to proliferate, and thus interefere with the interactions of the species which have co-evolved together in any one place (habitat or microhabitat). Plants which do not reproduce in habitats into which they are introduced or even in other nearby or even distant habiats to which their propagules might be transported by natural agency (wind, animals, etc.) are least likely to do harm by proliferating in natural areas or other places where they are not wanted. 

These habitats will always be with us, but to the extent that they can be resisted, the better off will be Nature, and humans and their cultural/economic systems. 

Keep up the good work.

WT
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: gg lilly 
  To: steveyoung at aol.com ; apwg at lists.plantconservation.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 6:50 AM
  Subject: [APWG] 2008 12-21 letter to Dereck Fell


  Hello, Steve,
  When I asked the APWG about what to do about the invasive plant suggestion in Derek Fell's The Encyclopedia of Hardy Plants, you suggested a polite letter to the author. I liked the idea; here is the result. The letter will go out in today's mail. Happy Holidays to you all! Grace Lilly pembrokes at ne.rr.com 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   

  63 Talbot Hill Road

  Swanzey, NH 03446

  December 22, 2008

   

  Dear Mr. Fell,

   

            Our library recently purchased your book The Encyclopedia of Hardy Plants. The collections librarian told me that a feature article in the Library Journal entitled "Regional Gardening North by Northeast" gave your book a starred review.

            I'm an amateur naturalist who loves to garden. I have had horticulture training as a plant conservation volunteer for the New England Wild Flower Society and as a Pennsylvania Master Gardener. Your book title sounded interesting, and I looked forward to reading it. After I saw your hardy plant choices, I was confused.  I asked myself, why did an internationally respected gardening expert recommend plants that degrade our environment? Then, I answered my own question. I recognized that someone who loves the landscape as you do would not deliberately choose to harm it. 

            I knew that you would be delighted to read this letter as it explains why some of the plant choices in The Encyclopedia of Hardy Plants would be harmful to many gardens. I hope that you will receive the information as it is intended, with the best of intentions.

            My deep concern, and an area that I wanted to explore with you, is invasive plants. Several of your choices are considered invasive species in many states and should not be planted under any circumstances, hardiness aside.

            Here is how The Nature Conservancy describes as invasive species: "On their home turf, plant and animal populations are kept in check by natural controls, like predators and food supply. However, when a species is introduced-accidentally or intentionally-into a new landscape that is not used to its presence, the consequences can be devastating. Most of these 'non-native' species do not misbehave. But some non-native species spread unchecked by the lack of natural competitors and predators.  They push out native species and cause ecological chaos. These are known as 'invasive' species.  All habitats are vulnerable to these invasions, from lakes, rivers and oceans, to plains and forests."

            One plant you recommended, Chinese bittersweet, did come with the caveat, "is similar to American bittersweet, but tends to be more rampant. While it is handsome in fruit, it has become a rather noxious weed in the northeastern U.S."

            I think that your caveat might have been stronger had you known that the National Park Service's Alien Plant Working Group lists oriental bittersweet on its "Weeds Gone Wild" website (http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/vines.htm). The government's Forest Service, Northeastern Area, Forest Health Protection's Invasive Plants Website includes oriental bittersweet in its "Weed of the Week" literature (http://na.fs.fed.us/fhp/invasive_plants/weeds/oriental-bittersweet.pdf.) 

            Another hardy suggestion is Scotch broom. It is considered invasive in CA, DE, GA, MA, NC, NY, OR, SC, TN, VA, and WA. The USDA National Invasives Species Center lists different sources that explain the plant's destructiveness. The USDA National Agricultural Library in its "Weed of the Week" format explained that Scotch broom is "an aggressive, rapid spreading plant can grow 3 feet in the first year. It can form dense impenetrable stands that degrade rangeland, prevent forest regeneration, and create fire hazards. It invades rapidly following logging, land clearing, and burning. It can form pure dense stands for miles along highway and country roads to crowd out native species and destroy wildlife habitat." (http://na.fs.fed.us/fhp/invasive_plants/weeds/scotch-broom.pdf)

            Although other plant choices in the encyclopedia are also problematic as invasives, I thought I would end this letter talking about Acer platanoides. I found this information from the National Park Service (http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/pubs/midatlantic/acpl.htm):  "Norway maple is found in 13 states in the eastern United States, from Maine to Virginia and west to Wisconsin. It is recognized as an invasive plant in many of these states. Norway maple has escaped cultivation and invades forests, fields, and other natural habitats. It forms monotypic stands that create dense shade and it displaces native trees, shrubs and herbs."

            One state that has Norway maple on its invasive plant list is New Hampshire, my native state. Norway maple causes problems with our NH maple syrup industry since it outcompetes our native sugar maples because it is a prolific seeder, leafs out earlier, and keeps it leaves longer. I truly hope that one day we New Hampshire residents don't look at our hillsides in the fall and see the yellow leaves of Norway maples instead of the red leaves of sugar maples.

            I wanted to recommend the book Bringing Nature Home, How native plants sustain wildlife in our gardens by Douglas W. Tallamy, Timber Press, copyright 2007.  This landmark book beautifully illustrates the relationship between native plants and native wildlife. Tallamy is a Professor and the Chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware and a nationally respected authority on native plants. 

            I look forward to hearing from you.  My email address:  pembrokes at ne.rr.com

   

  Sincerely,

   



------------------------------------------------------------------------------



  _______________________________________________
  PCA's Alien Plant Working Group mailing list
  APWG at lists.plantconservation.org
  http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org

  Disclaimer
  Any requests, advice or opinions posted to this list reflect ONLY the opinion of the individual posting the message.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------



  No virus found in this incoming message.
  Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com 
  Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.0/1865 - Release Date: 12/26/2008 1:01 PM
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.plantconservation.org/pipermail/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org/attachments/20081226/cf6d68b6/attachment.html>