Looking outside your house or apartment, how many plant species do you see? One? Five? Twenty? How many of those are native? Do you even know? For centuries humans have been introducing species from other countries accidentally (think emerald ash borer) – and intentionally (think kudzu). Most of us buy our plants from big box stores without ever considering where the plants came from or what they do to the environment. In the early 1900s, having a nice lawn or manicured landscape was considered a sign of obstinate wealth and class. Today, it’s almost a given. There is a literal keeping up with the Jones’ when we calculate how frequently we should mow our lawn or prune our roses. Always to keep our place the nicest in the neighborhood. It makes sense, then, that we would choose plants that resist diseases or insect pests. But what does this mean to the environment around us? Usually this means getting plants from somewhere else. Plants that our native plant eaters have never encountered before. Like the new kid on the block, these plants are often avoided by herbivores and native plants as well. Soon they create a monoculture of poor food source. When bugs decline so does wildlife. Birds, bats, mice, and other animals depend on insects for food so, if the plants don’t support the insects, the plants don’t support the wildlife either.
So, if these plants are so bad for the environment, why do we keep planting them? Convenience and aesthetics. To keep up with the Jones’ we must keep up with the aesthetics of our landscape and aesthetics are easier to maintain with invasive plants. It’s one of the reasons they become invasive. I propose a shift in mindset. Let’s celebrate our ugly yards. Our yards with dandelions and clover and half-eaten oaks. Take a minute to look at the bugs visiting your ugly plants. Think to yourself the next time you shop for plants: where did this plant come from? Is it native? What animals does it support? Take the few extra minutes to plan your next trip to the garden store and get a list of native plants you want to purchase. Talk to your neighbors about their planting habits. Become a voice for the environment and celebrate your #UglyYard Excitement has sprung in the Clemson Forest Health Lab! We have a lot of projects starting and that means a lot of fun field work ahead. The whole lab attended the South Appalachian Forest Entomology and Pathology Seminar at the NC Forest Service Mountain Training Facility March 5-6. Forest presented preliminary results from our bark beetles and prescribed fire research, Katy and Kelsea both presented their research in the poster session, and Dr. Hartshorn presented preliminary results from one part of Callery pear research. Field work has heated up as well (sort of). Anyone in the SE knows that we have experienced historical rain events which have put prescribed burns on hold for much of the state. So far, burns have only happened at the Pee Dee Research and Education Center. We still had fun collecting site data and bark samples for nutrient quality analysis. Forest got so excited he BROKE the arch punch! I also want to congratulate Alex Lewis on her CAFLS Undergraduate Research Initiative Award! Alex submitted a proposal to compare arthropod diversity between sites infested with Callery pear and uninfested sites. She has started collecting twigs and leaf litter to collect emerging arthropods and will look at herbivores later this spring. |