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Is it worth pointing out that Himalayan Balsam is a major invasive species? Characterised as a 'nuisance plant'. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=480

Is it worth pointing out that Himalayan Balsam is a major invasive species? Characterised as a 'nuisance plant'. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=480 https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=480

bduerst 7y ago
I was going to say, this list would be better if the non-native species were labelled with a * or something. Even in Minnesota, there's a push to restore native prairie grasses, which also benefits bees: https://www.beeculture.com/prairie-restoration/ https://www.beeculture.com/prairie-restoration/
- noob_slayer 7y ago
  Build the wall!
- Iwan-Zotow 7y ago
  > restore native prairie grasses And what would be "native" to Minnesota given that (at least) 2C temperature raise is pretty much in the books?
  - mulmen 7y ago
    Native plants are plants that occur... natively. If a plant was brought in from elsewhere it is invasive. It has nothing to do with temperature.
    - karthikb 7y ago
      Plant seeds tend to travel far and wide with birds and animal migratory patterns. What takes root is dependent on soil, climate, etc. Meaning, what’s native is less dependent on location and more on conditions. As climate changes, conditions change, and so the set of plants best suited to any particular location changes as well.
    - Retric 7y ago
      Plant ranges are migrating due to climate change. For species that are native to areas close enough to be introduced naturally invasive is not a useful definition.
      - mulmen 7y ago
        Exactly. Those plants are not invasive.
  - Breza 7y ago
    Some native plants can handle that kind of temperature change better than others. I wish there were a database of plants that are both native and climate resilient for different areas.
reallydude 7y ago
As is the Himalayan Blackberry - https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/himalayan-blackberry https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/himalayan-blackberry The himalayan environment spawned some very pernicious and hardy species!
- xyzzyz 7y ago
  Plenty of these around me. Grow super fast, push out everything else, and are very hard to get rid of.
- Something1234 7y ago
  Are the berries edible?
  - tlavoie 7y ago
    Very, they're quite delicious! However, the vines themselves are a thorny menace, with a coating of sharp, strong spines that hook backwards towards the root. Catch one of these sometimes slender tendrils around an ankle while walking, and you might think you can just pull through it... and rapidly learn that you shouldn't. If you can't convince someone to pick them for you, go armoured. I have some old fire turn-out pants that help quite a bit.
mark-r 7y ago
Honeysuckle too.
- Aromasin 7y ago
  I've planted the Lonicera periclymenum species, which is very much native to the UK. I'm also looking to plant the other type, Lonicera xylosteum, in the coming months. If you're in the US though I believe it could well be an invasive species from Europe.
  - mark-r 7y ago
    Yes, I'm in the US - Minnesota in fact. Our worst bush/tree invader is Buckthorn, but Honeysuckle is right behind it. I believe both were introduced as garden plants.
chihuahua 7y ago
Yellow Water Iris is also invasive. Once you have them, they are very difficult to get rid of.
- Aromasin 7y ago
  I believe they're native to the UK, but not the US. The plant was also rated in second place for per day nectar production per flower in a UK plants survey conducted by the AgriLand project which is supported by the UK Insect Pollinators Initiative. They also look wonderful, so they're very much here to stay.
hdfbdtbcdg 7y ago
Rhododendron is pretty bad as well.
- tomohawk 7y ago
  There are native varieties as well as the ones from asia.
- Aromasin 7y ago
  Having just now read about Rhododendron destroying habitats all around the UK, I'm inclined to tear it out. I'll play it by ear and just keep an eye on it for the moment. If it starts growing unruly I'll be sure to take my shears to it. If only it wasn't so pretty, and so bee-friendly!
Aromasin 7y ago
One or two on the list are non-native, simply because their nectar production was so good. Admittedly I've been relatively blasé when it comes to native vs non-native. My only requirements were that bees like it and it can grow in the hard, clay-like soil in my garden. I've had no issues with the native plants getting blocked out by the non-native, but I will keep an eye on it and remove any foreign guests that seem to be taking my hospitality too generously.

bduerst 7y ago

I was going to say, this list would be better if the non-native species were labelled with a * or something. Even in Minnesota, there's a push to restore native prairie grasses, which also benefits bees: https://www.beeculture.com/prairie-restoration/ https://www.beeculture.com/prairie-restoration/

noob_slayer 7y ago
Build the wall!
Iwan-Zotow 7y ago
> restore native prairie grasses And what would be "native" to Minnesota given that (at least) 2C temperature raise is pretty much in the books?
- mulmen 7y ago
  Native plants are plants that occur... natively. If a plant was brought in from elsewhere it is invasive. It has nothing to do with temperature.
  - karthikb 7y ago
    Plant seeds tend to travel far and wide with birds and animal migratory patterns. What takes root is dependent on soil, climate, etc. Meaning, what’s native is less dependent on location and more on conditions. As climate changes, conditions change, and so the set of plants best suited to any particular location changes as well.
  - Retric 7y ago
    Plant ranges are migrating due to climate change. For species that are native to areas close enough to be introduced naturally invasive is not a useful definition.
    - mulmen 7y ago
      Exactly. Those plants are not invasive.
- Breza 7y ago
  Some native plants can handle that kind of temperature change better than others. I wish there were a database of plants that are both native and climate resilient for different areas.

reallydude 7y ago

As is the Himalayan Blackberry - https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/himalayan-blackberry https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/himalayan-blackberry The himalayan environment spawned some very pernicious and hardy species!

xyzzyz 7y ago
Plenty of these around me. Grow super fast, push out everything else, and are very hard to get rid of.
Something1234 7y ago
Are the berries edible?
- tlavoie 7y ago
  Very, they're quite delicious! However, the vines themselves are a thorny menace, with a coating of sharp, strong spines that hook backwards towards the root. Catch one of these sometimes slender tendrils around an ankle while walking, and you might think you can just pull through it... and rapidly learn that you shouldn't. If you can't convince someone to pick them for you, go armoured. I have some old fire turn-out pants that help quite a bit.

mark-r 7y ago

Honeysuckle too.

Aromasin 7y ago
I've planted the Lonicera periclymenum species, which is very much native to the UK. I'm also looking to plant the other type, Lonicera xylosteum, in the coming months. If you're in the US though I believe it could well be an invasive species from Europe.
- mark-r 7y ago
  Yes, I'm in the US - Minnesota in fact. Our worst bush/tree invader is Buckthorn, but Honeysuckle is right behind it. I believe both were introduced as garden plants.

chihuahua 7y ago

Yellow Water Iris is also invasive. Once you have them, they are very difficult to get rid of.

Aromasin 7y ago
I believe they're native to the UK, but not the US. The plant was also rated in second place for per day nectar production per flower in a UK plants survey conducted by the AgriLand project which is supported by the UK Insect Pollinators Initiative. They also look wonderful, so they're very much here to stay.

hdfbdtbcdg 7y ago

Rhododendron is pretty bad as well.

tomohawk 7y ago
There are native varieties as well as the ones from asia.
Aromasin 7y ago
Having just now read about Rhododendron destroying habitats all around the UK, I'm inclined to tear it out. I'll play it by ear and just keep an eye on it for the moment. If it starts growing unruly I'll be sure to take my shears to it. If only it wasn't so pretty, and so bee-friendly!

Aromasin 7y ago

One or two on the list are non-native, simply because their nectar production was so good. Admittedly I've been relatively blasé when it comes to native vs non-native. My only requirements were that bees like it and it can grow in the hard, clay-like soil in my garden. I've had no issues with the native plants getting blocked out by the non-native, but I will keep an eye on it and remove any foreign guests that seem to be taking my hospitality too generously.