Sunday, January 31, 2010

"Wildflower" seed mixes: approach with caution!

Gardeners who are interested in growing native plants should be aware that those packages of "wildflower" seeds you see everywhere usually include many flowers not native to our area. Here are some "wildflower" seed mixes I have found on sale in Toronto: [Photo: Liberty Garden Wildflower - North American Mix seed packet.]Liberty Garden seeds (Page Seed Company) produces a so-called North American Wildflower Mixture. It's hard to be sure what species are included, since they're listed only by their common names, but they include many plants which are not native to North America. Here's the list:

PlantNative
to NA?
Native
to TO?
white yarrow (Achillea millefolium, achillée millefeuille)yesyes
alyssum (could be a few different species, but most likely Lobularia maritima (alysson maritime)nono
Calendula (species not identified)nono
cornflower: Centaurea cyanus (bluet des champs)nono
wallflower (Erisymum spp.)nono
Coreopsis, species not identifiedyesmaybe
Cosmos, species not identifiedprobablyno
sweet Wiliam: Dianthus barbatus (œillet de poète)nono
Gypsophila, species not identifiednono
blue flax: could be Linum lewisii (lin de Lewis) or Linum perenne (lin vivace)yes or nono
flax: probably Linum usitatissimum (lin cultivé)nono
evening primrose: Oenothera, species not identifiedyesmaybe
black-eyed Susan: probably some kind of Rudbeckiaprobablymaybe
catchfly: could be some kind of Lychnis or Silenemaybemaybe
Mexican hat: some kind of Ratibidayesmaybe
[Photo: Thompson and Morgan wildflower seed packets, California Mix and North American Mix.]Thompson and Morgan sell a California Mix (obviously not native here) and a North American Mix. The California Mix includes:
PlantNative to California?
Oenothera missourensis (bigfruit evening primrose, onagre de Missouri; now goes by the scientific name Oenothera macrocarpa)no
Layia platyglossa (coastal tidytips, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun en français)yes
Gilia capitata (bluehead gilia, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun en français)yes
Nemophila insignis (baby blue eyes, némophile)yes
Eschscholzia (California poppy, pavot de Californie), species not identifiedyes
Clarkia elegans (elegant Clarkia, Clarkia élégant)yes
Phacelia campanularia (desertbells, phacelia cloche bleu)yes

These actually are all California species, except for the very first species listed, bigfruit evening primrose, which is native to south-central US, not California. I'm wondering if, as with food ingredients, the first listed is present in the greatest quantity?

The so-called North American Mix contains:

PlantNative
to NA?
Native
to TO?
Gilia capitata (bluehead gilia, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun en français)yesno
Nemophila insignis (baby blue eyes, némophile)yesno
Nemophila maculata (fivespot, némophile)yesno
godetia (probably Clarkia amoena, fleur de satin)yesno
alyssum white (probably Lobularia maritima (alysson maritime)nono
Delphinium consolida (larkspur, dauphinelle)nono
Rudbeckia, species not identifiedyesmaybe
Linum rubrum (scarlet flax, lin rouge annuelle)nono
Eschscholzia (California poppy, pavot de Californie), species not identifiedyesno
Clarkia, species not identifiedyesno
Iberis umbellata (globe candytuft, ibéris à ombelles)nono
Papaver rhoeas (corn poppy, coquelicot)nono

[Photo: OSC wildflower seed packets Semi-Shade Mixture, Low-Growing Mixture, and OSC mixture.]The Ontario Seed Company (OSC) has a few different wildflower mixes. Their Semi-Shade Mixture includes:

PlantNative
to Ontario?
Native
to TO?
Aquilegia 'McKana Giant' (columbine ,ancolie)nono
coneflower: could refer to some kind of Echinacea, Rudbeckia, or Ratibidamaybemaybe
candytuft: some kind of Iberis (ibéride)nono
catchfly: could be some kind of Lychnis or Silenemaybemaybe
dwarf coreopsis: might be Coreopsis auriculata 'Nana' (coréopsis auriculé)nono
forget-me-not: could be some kind of Myosotis or Cynoglossum amabilenono
Ozark sundrop: Oenothera macrocarpa (onagre de Missouri)nono
Shasta daisy: Leucanthemum × superbumnono
Shirley poppy: Papaver rhoeas (corn poppy, coquelicot)nono
sweet Wiliam: Dianthus barbatus (œillet de poète)nono
Viola, species not identifiedmaybemaybe

Their Low-Growing mixture includes:

PlantNative
to Ontario?
Native
to TO?
Alyssum saxatile (golden alyssum, corbeille d'or)nono
African daisy: could be Arctotis sp., Dimorphotheca sp., Gazania sp., etc. etc.nono
baby's breath: Gypsophila (gypsophile), species not identifiednono
California poppy: Eschscholzia, species not identifiedpavot de Californienono
perennial candytuft: Iberis sempervirens (ibéris toujours vert)nono
dwarf coreopsis: might be Coreopsis auriculata 'Nana' (coréopsis auriculé)nono
dwarf coneflower: might be a cultivar of Echinacea purpureanono
five spot: Nemophila maculata (némophile)nono
forget-me-not: could be some kind of Myosotis or Cynoglossum amabilenono
mountain phlox: might be Phlox austromontana or Linanthus grandiflorusnono
showy evening primrose: Oenothera speciosa (oenothère rose)nono
Oriental poppy: Papaver orientale (pavot orientale)nono
Ozark sundrop: Oenothera macrocarpa (onagre de Missouri)nono
pinks: Dianthus, species not identifiednono
prairie coneflower: probably Ratibidamaybemaybe
wallflower: Erisymumnono

Their OSC mixture includes:

PlantNative
to Ontario?
Native
to TO?
baby's breath: Gypsophila (gypsophile), species not identifiednono
bachelor buttons: Centaurea cyanus (bluet des champs)nono
black-eyed Susan: probably some kind of Rudbeckiamaybemaybe
Cosmos, species not identifiednono
Calendula, species not identifiednono
catchfly: could be some kind of Lychnis or Silenemaybemaybe
Chrysanthemum, species not identifiednono
lance leaf coreopsis: Coreopsis lanceolata (coréopsis lancéolé)yesyes
plains coreopsis: Coreopsis tinctoria (coreopsis élégant)yesyes
scarlet flax: Linum grandiflorum (lin)nono
Rocky Mountain penstemon: Penstemon strictus (penstemon)nono
evening scented primrose: Oenothera odorata (onagre odorant)nono
prairie coneflower: probably Ratibidamaybemaybe
purple coneflower: Echinacea purpureanono
Russell lupines: Lupinus polyphyllusnono
soapwort: Saponaria (saponaire), unidentified speciesnono
Shasta daisy: Leucanthemum × superbumnono
Shirley poppy: Papaver rhoeas (corn poppy, coquelicot)nono
wallflower: Erisymumnono

[Photo: McKenzie wildflower seed mixtures: Low-Growing and All Purpose.]Finally, McKenzie Seeds sells Low-Growing and All Purpose wildflower seed mixes, which don't even list the species included. The package states, and I quote, "Annuals, Biennials, Perennials". Well, that really narrows it down, doesn't it? I wonder if they even know what is in these mixtures or if it's just mystery seeds that fell out of the other packets?

Now, just because these plants aren't native doesn't mean that you should never grow them (I have grown a number of them myself), but if you want to get all the benefits of native plants, in terms of providing habitat for native insects and the wildlife that depend on them (read Bringing Nature Home if you haven't already), then you will not be getting those benefits from these wildflower seed mixes. It's not clear to me what "wildflower" even means to these seed sellers, since not only are most of these plants not native, most of them don't grow wild here either. I wish they would label these mixes as "easy-care flowers" or something, and not give them names like "North American Wildflower" mix when there is nothing particularly North American or wild about most of the flowers included.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Native plant seeds out of the fridge and under the grow lights!

[Photo: Some of the natives I'm trying to grow from seed (left to right): Aquilegia canadensis, Gaillardia aristata, Tradescantia ohiensis, Verbena stricta.]

I've finished stratifying my native plant seeds and am starting them extra early under the grow lights, to hopefully get them big and healthy before they have to contend with the garden, and the kids and dogs who frequent the garden.

The natives I'm doing this year are all ones I attempted last year, with varying degrees of success (some of them I attempted wintersowing in peat pellets with no cover and they all dried out.)

Monday, January 25, 2010

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