RE: [Aroid-l] Invasive plants

From: "ron" <ronlene at bellsouth.net> on 2004.08.30 at 14:48:35(12116) Hi John, I really did not miss your point. You said it very well. I agree with most everything you have to say. Unfortunately, plant inspection, at Customs does not always have adequately staffed people to handle the exotics and we lose to many worthwhile additions. I think the Aroid-l website has very astute (and humorous) growers and I am sure they spread the word about invasive plants. Say NO!!! to "The STRONGEST WILL SURVIVE". Ron +More -----Original Message----- Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2004 9:00 PM To: ron; 'Discussion of aroids' Cc: Linda Seals Subject: RE: [Aroid-l] Invasive plants Ron, I think you are missing my point. Invasiveness is all subjective. Pistia is a complete menace to natives in Fl and other warm gulf coast areas, not in New England, WA, or the Midwest. They cannot be deemed invasive until trials are done in the areas to be introduced. What an Oxalis is doing in S. Africa is no indication what they will do in S. CA. O. pes-capri is unbelievable here. It is quite colorful when it is blooming (which doesn't help with idiotic gardeners who harvest bulbs and trasplant them). But, it still will displace natives and cause environmental harm as Tony has pointed out. Phragmites, while a great commercial crop in Europe for millenia, has no use here other than to remove essential habitats for some already unstable environs for natives. I agree that devastating things have been imported. Scales, ants, etc. but, that is a phtyo concern not a plant potential concern. It has no relavance to what is being brought in, only how it is brought in. I would love the day that some plants become invasive in any environment. Because of the small minded people that have set up the phyto and white list requirements to control all imports until a plant is deemed acceptable, things that will never be invasive, now incur unnecessary costs for imports. Things such as Worsleyas and various colors of Clivia are held up in customs for longer than necessary. Thus, increasing my costs due to loss. "A government is best that governs least". I think the focus needs to be to address those that are already here. As examples, pampas grass, kudzu, Calla lilies, morning glories. Let's get some control here. Anyone that sells these plants should be boycotted. Ok, no one sells kudzu but the others are commonly offered in CA at such mass retailers as Home Depot. Let me take Morning glories as an example. I have them voluntarily seeded all over my fence. They get not one drop of water in the summer. Still they creep into my pots 20' away and take root, seed everywhere, and just plain cause havoc. And yet, everytime someone comes by, they want to buy some. I give them the whole soapbox speach as to why they will be damned if they even think of buying them. I also state that idiotic friends who did not heed my warning will not even allow me to broach the subject 3 years after they had them removed (and are still removing them). My other position is that you cannot say that all non-natives are unnecessary. Let's go back to the vegitables and then also include ornamentals. If you took everything out of your garden that was not an original native to your area, your garden (if not planned with a HUGE bankroll) would be very boring. There are some gorgeous CA natives that are extremely garden worthy and I could make a pure native garden here in SO CA. but, most of the US is not as lucky as to have them available to them. So, in conclusion, I think that it should be up to the individual to make their own decision about invasiveness. But, anyone who is not well informed should not risk it. But, as we know, most of the general public is just plain stupid and don't listen to those of us who really could help them form making the mistake of their lives. I have gone so far as with clients to throw away plants they have put in or refused to plant them and force them to return them to the place of purchase for a complete refund. I also instruct them to scold the salesperson for selling a weed. I'm sure that they don't do that but it never hurts to try. I get very PO'd that I can't get Worsleyas in without a HUGE hassle because the people at the FL customs/Ag dept. think they might be invasive and hold them for 2 weeks until they can determine what they are and what they will do. If Worsleyas ever become a weed, I think the world can rejoice. I'll write a hymm to celebrate. ===== John Ingram in L.A., CA. www.floralarchitecture.com check it out Floralartistry2000@yahoo.com 310.709.1613 (cell, west coast time, please call accordingly. Thank you) _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

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