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
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Monday - May 11, 2015
From: Edmond, OK
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives, Wildflowers
Title: Thinning and culling wildflower seed mix plants
Answered by: Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
Wildflower garden in central Oklahoma I sowed a (mostly) native wildflower mixture in early November here in my Zone 7A Edmond, OK garden. To my surprise, many of the seeds (I'm guessing annuals) germinated over the winter. They survived freezes and snows, and are now thriving in the warm spring days. No flowers yet, but the plants are definitely coming on strong. So I have two questions: 1. The wildflower seedlings are very thick in a few spots. Should I thin them out? Mow them? Let them be? I'm worried they are going to choke out each other and other seeds that are yet to germinate. 2. I was discouraged to find that 5 of the 16 species in the mix I bought from a local company are not native. They are: Cornflower, Corn Poppy, Shasta Daisy, Dames Rocket & Blue Flax. I don't want ANYTHING even remotely invasive in my landscape. Should I remove these aggressively, or are these guys okay to leave for the time being? I will definitely be removing them once I can identify them properly (no flowers yet), but I'm wondering how aggressive I should be against these non-native species. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!ANSWER:
The wildflowers that are closely grown will sort themselves out. There is no need to thin them.
You are wise to remove the non-natives from the "wildflower" mix. Though they might not escape from cultivation, there is no reason to take a chance on that.
More Non-Natives Questions
Plant for a salt water pool in Australia
September 27, 2011 - What plant is a perfect plant for small areas around a salt water pool?
view the full question and answer
Micro clover for groundcover
March 10, 2012 - Hi there! I am interested in overseeding my lawn with a micro clover mix.. however, I cannot find any information on the web about how it might act here in Central Texas. Do you have any experience wi...
view the full question and answer
Non-native Sago palm roots damaging house foundation from Keystone Heights FL
July 03, 2013 - Will sago palms roots hurt a house's foundation if too close?
view the full question and answer
Leaves shriveling on non-native Japanese maple in Redmond WA
July 18, 2009 - My husband and I bought a Japanese Maple 3 years ago which we planted in an old wine barrel for our patio, along with some ivy and grass to keep the surface covered. Until recently, it has been doing ...
view the full question and answer
Viability of non-native Royal Poinciana in Austin
August 20, 2008 - My question is about the tree called Royal Poinciana that grows so well in the Rio Grande Valley. I realise it isn't a native but hope you have an opinion about its chances of survival in Austin. ...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |