Invasive Species & the Danger of Importing Seeds

[Xiao Rong]

I am reposting Mashiigwe's post in another thread about rowan trees, because I think it is really important advice for all our members who garden and care for the earth:

Seeds can be mailed. However, please reconsider receiving any plant life from another part of the World and trying to establish it here. For as long as Europeans arrived on this continent, foreign species and diseases have been ravaging our native ecosystems. Everyone that has thought it would be a good idea what they brought here, and didn't foresee any problems, have caused major damage: Gypsy Moths to make silk, Emerald Ash Borers found their way in shipping materials, wild garlic mustard, babies breath, purple loosetrife, spotted knapweed, eucalyptus trees... gee, this would be a huge list. Please, please consider helping native species that have received a beating over the years. It may seem like seeds for a tree are innocent, but it's possible that they carry a disease which doesn't affect rowan trees but could put the hurt on trees here. Think of the diseases that people of European heritage carried that wiped out native populations who had no natural immunity.

[Sakura Blossom]

This is such a good thing to share! Thank you, Xiao! I've tried telling my mother all about this because she wouldn't listen and she's finally started to switch. I will not buy or order anything living from another country as I want to limit this kind of thing in our country as much as possible. And of course, the same goes for hiking too. I know some of our state parks have places for you to wipe your feet before you go hiking, so you don't carry any spores or seeds with you that could inhabit the area it shouldn't.

[YanaKhan]

It's always a good idea to help native plants grow more and stronger. But sometimes plant seeds travel via many sorts of transportation and can't really be stopped. Still, Mahiigwe is right - it's not a very good idea to bring other plants to your area if you don't know for sure they won't be a threat to the local plants, animals and people.

[ehsanjadoon]

Great information. Everyone needs to read this.