Interested in adding native plants to you landscape? A good, easy way to obtain native plants would be to get plants from the “wild” areas near your home, right? Wrong! I can name three important reasons not to remove plants from their natural environment.
Gardeners may be tempted to pluck beautiful plants such as this
trillium from nature, but the blooms are protected. Taking them from the wild could lead to fines.
Photo Credit: Felder Rushing
Park rules are often posted at the entry gates and in brochures. Be sure to read these before attempting to remove any plants or seeds from an area.
Photo Credit: Stephanie Avett
Getting caught removing plants may lead to a fine. Always check the rules and get permission before removing anything.
Photo Credit: Ryan Avett
- Plants play an important role in natural ecosystems, providing food and shelter for many animals. If just one person took just one plant, it wouldn’t seem that bad, right? But when many people start shopping from Mother Nature, it can make a big difference. Animals in particular suffer greatly when plants are removed. Already, many natural areas have been fragmented into small, unconnected “islands.” When wild animals’ food and shelter are removed, they’ve got nowhere else to go.
- It can damage your pocketbook. Some states have hefty fines for taking plants from the wild, and the fine can depend on who owns the forest you’re pillaging or what the plant is you’re “collecting.” For example, in North Carolina, it’s unlawful to take or otherwise disturb any plant on a protected plant list from someone else’s land without a written permit. (Being on a protected plant lists mean the selections are protected, of special concern, threatened, endangered, etc.) A first offense can earn you a fine up to $500 – and that’s per plant. It’s also unlawful to remove any plant or plant part from a national park or any protected plants from a national forest. If you get caught removing plants from a North Carolina state park, you may find yourself with a $35 ticket plus $110 in court costs.
- Native plant removal can give invasive plants another edge in their battle for occupation by removing competition for light, water and nutrients. An estimated 14 percent of forest plant species in the Midwest are non-native invasives. Not only could you be helping the invasives, you may accidentally plant a non-native invasive in your own native garden.
But don’t despair, you can gather inspiration from Mother Nature and acquire native plants without pillaging sensitive ecosystems in natural areas. Here are three things you can do as you plan and plant a native plants garden.
- Visit local forests, parks and other undisturbed areas to observe plants in their natural habitats. You can gain insight into appropriate native plants for your area and ideal groupings of plants.
- You can collect seeds and propagate them at home. Be sure to obtain permission from the landholder and collect only the seeds you’ll use, leaving behind plenty to reseed the plant for the next year. Be sure to research the plants you plan to gather seed from to determine the appropriate time to collect seeds and the best methods of propagation.
- Purchase plants from local nurseries or botanical gardens that specialize in propagating native plants. Look for a native plant society in your area, and find out if they host a plant sale or swap.
Generally, folks interested in native plant gardens have the utmost respect for the natural environment, but they may not have a full understanding of the natural and legal implications of obtaining plants from the “wild.” Remember, go native – just don’t go dig natives!
