What are native wildflowers and grasses?
These are plants indigenous to North America prior to European settlement.
There are many other companies, however, who sell “alien” species as “wildflowers.” These species have come from outside North America. A few examples of “naturalized aliens” that should be avoided are: Oxeye Daisy, Bouncing Bet, Queen Anne’s Lace, Chicory, Dame’s Rocket, Bird’s Foot Trefoil, Crown Vetch and Reed Canary Grass. Once established, they can spread to new areas and overwhelm native plants.
The dangers of planting alien species have been well documented by such tragedies as the loss of wetland areas to Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), an aggressive dominant alien still being sold by some nurseries.
Also entering the native plant trade are horticulturally selected species known as cultivars. Many of these do not have the genetic variations of the plants they were developed from and can be aesthetically less pleasing than their wild relatives. Some have been selected to be larger and more aggressive and take over when planted in a mix with other native species.
In restoration work and native landscaping, we believe alien and naturalized species and cultivars should be avoided, particularly when they might contaminate native gene pools.
With the wide array of true native plants available, why degrade the environment with weedy non-natives?
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Links to wildflowers and native grasses
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