Why nurture natives?
Gardeners looking for beauty may cultivate aliens instead of natives, not realizing the dangers if their charges escape the yard and run amok. Toadflaxes, also called butter-and-eggs, became ornamental plants in the 1830s. They have extensive root systems and efficient seed dispersal that makes them hard to control in the wild. Because they like dry summers, they have been spreading in Colorado and now infest more than 40,000 acres. I’ve seen toadflax in recent years in natural areas in Larimer County including Reservoir Ridge along the northeast side of Horsetooth Reservoir. While Linaria dalmatica and Linaria genistifolia, the broad- and narrow-leaved toadflaxes, sport beautiful yellow flowers with distinctive spurs, many native alternatives look just as flashy in the garden. Golden banner (Thermopsis ssp.) waves golden pea-style blossoms during summer months. Yellowish to orange wallflowers, Erysium asperum, also make great substitutes.
Related Questions
- What factors determine whether divergent hatchery strain lake trout will successfully interbreed with natives in wild populations?
- Ive heard that the natives of South America used stevia as a contraceptive. Does stevia reduce fertility?
- Do immigrants working illegally reduce the natives legal employment?
