From the category archives:

Plants

When Experts Mislead You

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So you’ve decided that you want to help wildlife in your garden.
Congratulations!
You didn’t remember to read How to choose the best plants for your wildlife garden. Oops!
You head over to your local bookstore and find several books about wildlife gardening and you pick the one that is filled with beautiful photographs and bring it home [...]

Plants 2 comments

Are Paulownia crops the same as Monsanto GM corn?

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By now you all must know that I have a problem with the continued planting and sale of invasive plants, which destroy native habitat and reduce wildlife biodiversity. I tend to rant a little (understatement, of course) because if we stopped the sale of these plants and stopped putting them in our gardens, we would [...]

Invasive Plants 7 comments

English Ivy: Most Hated Plants

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Think those ivy-covered towers are pretty? Unfortunately, English Ivy (Hedera helix) is one of the most pernicious, nasty, and destructive of the invasive plants because it not only destroys native habitat, it can also destroy your house.
That is why I’ve added English Ivy to the Most Hated Plants list.
We can thank some very early European [...]

Invasive Plants 25 comments

Mystery Flower

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We had so much fun last week playing with the mystery hawk, that I wanted to give you the opportunity to play again.
Here’s a flower that magically appeared in my garden this year, and all around the neighborhood as well.
What is it?
Hint: I live in Philadelphia so you will know zone and regional information.
I’ll be [...]

Plants 9 comments

Most Hated Plants

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We are accumulating a library of the “most hated” invasive plants, which we regularly update. Removal and control of invasive species costs taxpayers more than 32 billion every year. Many of these plants were introduced for sale by the horticultural and landscaping industry to satisfy a seemingly insatiable desire to have the most exotic plants [...]

Invasive Plants 7 comments

Oriental Bittersweet on Most Hated Plants List

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Every week, we discuss one of the “Most Hated” plants, plants that are so invasive and damaging to ecosystems that they should never be planted, let alone sold. Many of these plants were introduced into this country as ornamentals by the horticultural industry and have since escaped the garden and are running rampant through native [...]

Invasive Plants 0 comments

Choosing the Best Plants for Your Ecosystem Garden

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“What should I plant?” is the most frequent question I receive from people who are interested in creating habitat for wildlife in their gardens. For all of you who have the same question and want to discover how to choose the best plants for your Ecosystem Garden, I have some answers for you. You may [...]

Plants 6 comments

Autumn Olive and Russian Olive on Most Hated Plants List

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Our weekly saga continues with the worst of the worst invasive plants. Plants so harmful to ecosystems they should never be planted, yet alone sold.
Topping the noxious list this week is Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) and Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), two plants in the same genus that are leaving a swath of destruction in their [...]

Invasive Plants 0 comments

Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants

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The UN has just announced that invasive species and climate change are the biggest threat to ecosystems and biodiversity. The cost of controlling invasive plants in the US is estimated at more than $138 billion every year. But invasive plants continue to be sold by the horticultural trade who have turned a blind eye to [...]

Invasive Plants 0 comments

Top 10 Herbaceous Plants to Attract Wildlife to Your Ecosystem Garden

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“What should I plant” is the most frequently asked question I receive from people who’d like to attract more wildlife to their gardens. We have already discussed the top 10 woody plants to attract wildlife to your Ecosystem Garden. Now we”ll delve into the best herbaceous species.
These plants have been chosen based on a study [...]

Native Plants 6 comments

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