[PCA] strict natives vs cultivars

[euphorbia at aol.com]

Well, I too am a landscaper who's been working with (primarily) natives for the past 20 years and have had this conversation many times.? My thoughts are these;? 

If you are doing restoration projects, you should be trying to stick with straight species plants as they are being re-introduced into a system that you hope becomes a self-sustaining habitat.? On the flip side, if you are designing 'gardens' for home owners, you're not really 'restoring' habitat, you are creating a garden for a client who most likely lives in a sub-divison.? That said subdivision has been bulldozed, and reworked to fit the needs of the human?inhabitants and (in general) very little care is given in saving 'natural' areas and what is a 'sustainable' landscape.? 

Beyond that, most developers could care less about natives vs non natives and simply replant with plants they know will survive (like Eleagnus).? Here in Northern Virginia it's not uncommon?to see Bradford pears lining the streets of neighborhoods, it's also not uncommon to see those same pears littering the roadsides and open fields from having escaped cultivation.

Now the question comes; would you rather see bradford pears, or 'Red Sunset' maples escaping cultivation?? Myself, I'd rather have a native cultivar escaping than a non-native cultivar.

Yes, this has negative effects on the genetic diversity of the population of maples in the area, but it's still better than them disappeaing all together under the birage of exotic invasive 'cultivars' escaping into the wild.

My other point would be this; we as humans, have always 'selected' cultivars that we use in our landscapes.? Non-informed people will always want the Echinacea 'Magnus' over the straight species because it is the showier plant.? You have to fight the battles you can win, and if you end up losing the battle, the next landscaper is more likely to plant a cultivar of a non-native plant than to even consider natives of any kind.? Early in my career I tried the 'straight species'?approach and wound up losing a lot of work and not helping to further the cause of natives.? 

In a dream world, it would be great if people 'got it' but honestly, not many people do.? They simply want some pretty plants that are easy to take care of and will improve the value of their home.? Again, we need to fight the good fight and fight the battles we know we can win (and maybe a few we can't sometimes).? Once you have enough of a portfolio built up of 'native plant gardens' then you have some 'evidence' behind you to take that next step and talk about the importance of 'straight species plants'.

Change comes in small steps most times, so take the small steps first and with time, the big steps will become easier.

John


John C. Magee
Landscape Operations Manager
Greenworks Landscaping
42660 John Mosby Hwy
Chantilly, VA 20152
www.greenworkslandscaping.com
Direct: 703-929-4275


-----Original Message-----
From: Rochelle Bartolomei <rockypandora at yahoo.com>
To: native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org
Sent: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 9:32 am
Subject: [PCA] strict natives vs cultivars


I have a question regarding the use of cultivars versus straight native species.? My understanding is that cultivars are native plants that have been selected for certain characteristics and then reproduced (cloned?).? I assume this would have a negative impact on diversity of ecotypes.? 

I am a landscaper and I am attempting to do the right thing for the environment and want to know which plants to select.? As a design element, it would be nice to be able to choose cultivars for their specific traits.? In terms of the plants themselves, sometimes the non-cultivated species are rife with problems.? For example, Michael Dirr advises against using ilex opaca because of its vulnerability to disease and insect infestation, whereas he encourages use of cultivars.? Wouldn't it be better to have a healthy cultivated native?? 

I know? that this subject is debatable, but I'd love to hear some conversation about it, or be referred to recent studies or articles where I could find some solid science to base my decisions on.? My fear is that in the future, our yards are going to be one of the few places wildlife is going to have a chance to thrive, and if so, we need to make them as close to the true natural world as we can.? 

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