Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Thursday - September 03, 2009
From: St Petersburg, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Does NPIN include non-native plant species?
Answered by: Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
I'm writing a book on the plants eaten by 12th century Indians of Florida. I'd like to use your site for some of my research. You say all of your plants are native, but then under some listings (wild garlic) you say the plant is native to Europe. Which is it? Were all of your listings growing here in the 12th century?ANSWER:
Thank you for alerting us to the misleading wording of our NPIN entry for Allium canadense (meadow garlic). The sentence you referenced was discussing the closely related European species, Allium vineale. The entry also discussed another non-native species, Allium ampeloprasum. To avoid further confusion, we have stricken our discussion of the non-natives from the web page for Allium canadense.
There should be no non-native (outside North America) plant species included in the NPIN database. Some entries, like the one you read, may include some discussion of non-naitve species, but that would be very unusual. The native origins of a few species are in dispute among botanists. We make decisions on a case by case basis for those exceptions based on the best evidence available.
We do not have a definitive answer for your final question. Most questions of nativity date to the time of arrival of Europeans to North America some 300 to 400 years after the period of time you're researching. We know that Native Americans traded and spread edible plants among tribes and over large areas, but our information is not nearly so exact to say whether or not certain species occurred in Florida in the 12th century. Unfortunately, none of the North American indiginous peoples kept written records.
More Non-Natives Questions
Late blooming Esperanza in St. Augustine FL
April 21, 2011 - I bought an Esperanza at a plant expo- I was told it was a Florida native Allamanda. It took me two years to figure out what I had. Mine grows 8 ft. tall and is huge! But it doesn't bloom until alm...
view the full question and answer
Moving non-native Iris Germanica in Pennsylvania
May 30, 2009 - I am moving from Northeast Pennsylvania to North Carolina this fall or winter. I was told it was possible to save some of my bearded Iris plants by digging them after they bloom and allowing them to ...
view the full question and answer
Wrapping a newly planted non-native Japanese maple from Fraser MI
October 01, 2013 - Does a newly planted Japanese maple need to be wrapped in burlap for the cold and snowy winter of Macomb County, Michigan?
view the full question and answer
Insect pest on non-native dwarf apply tree in Utica MI
June 02, 2011 - I have a dwarf apple tree that bears 5-6 different kinds of apples. I am having trouble with insects; what is a good choice for this and feeding it? Is there also a organic choice?
view the full question and answer
Care for non-native Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum)
June 07, 2005 - How do you care for an Easter Lily once the flowers have fallen off?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |