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
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
Decline of non-native Star Jasmine in California
June 30, 2008 - We just had 2 trachelospermum jasminoides planted in a redwood planter box about a month ago. We can't figure out if we are watering too much or too little but some leaves are turning yellow and the...
view the full question and answer
Problems with new transplant non-native weeping willow from Washington DC
September 10, 2012 - I replanted a very young BABY weeping willow tree and now it looks as if the leaves are drying up like it is dying. I know that it could also be in shock from the new transplant or it can be dying
...
view the full question and answer
Native turf grass for Austin
March 24, 2014 - I am installing a xeriscape landscape in my yard. It will be in full sun and I am looking for an alternative to turf, such as monkey grass. However, I am concerned about the light. Suggestions?
view the full question and answer
Invasiveness of non-native Lonicera fragrantissima in Austin
November 21, 2004 - A couple of years ago I mistakenly bought Lonicera fragrantissima (winter bush honeysuckle),
thinking it was native. I have since discovered that it is native to China and considered invasive...
view the full question and answer
Muscari neglectum image
March 23, 2007 - I am doing a school project and found a native plant on the native plant information network image gallery. It is plant NPIN Image Id 524. What is it's name?
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |