Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_00.gif)
Thursday - September 03, 2009
From: St Petersburg, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Does NPIN include non-native plant species?
Answered by: Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
I'm writing a book on the plants eaten by 12th century Indians of Florida. I'd like to use your site for some of my research. You say all of your plants are native, but then under some listings (wild garlic) you say the plant is native to Europe. Which is it? Were all of your listings growing here in the 12th century?ANSWER:
Thank you for alerting us to the misleading wording of our NPIN entry for Allium canadense (meadow garlic). The sentence you referenced was discussing the closely related European species, Allium vineale. The entry also discussed another non-native species, Allium ampeloprasum. To avoid further confusion, we have stricken our discussion of the non-natives from the web page for Allium canadense.
There should be no non-native (outside North America) plant species included in the NPIN database. Some entries, like the one you read, may include some discussion of non-naitve species, but that would be very unusual. The native origins of a few species are in dispute among botanists. We make decisions on a case by case basis for those exceptions based on the best evidence available.
We do not have a definitive answer for your final question. Most questions of nativity date to the time of arrival of Europeans to North America some 300 to 400 years after the period of time you're researching. We know that Native Americans traded and spread edible plants among tribes and over large areas, but our information is not nearly so exact to say whether or not certain species occurred in Florida in the 12th century. Unfortunately, none of the North American indiginous peoples kept written records.
More Non-Natives Questions
Possibility of replacing Bermudagrass with native grasses and wildflowers
November 24, 2008 - Are there any native grasses and wildflowers that can compete with bermuda grass to make a nativ-y wild area without removing the bermuda?
view the full question and answer
Non-native photinias dying from Austin
September 14, 2012 - I have some red tip potinias that are dying. The ends of the branches are dying and the leaves are turning brown, I don't think this is the fungus that affects most red tips, any clues?
view the full question and answer
Will cattle eat non-native Star Jasmine from Mt. Pleasant TX
July 04, 2010 - Will cattle eat Star Jasmine if planted on driveway entrance from pasture?
view the full question and answer
Damage to non-native Japanese maple
March 10, 2009 - I have a medium sized branch of a dwarf outdoor Japanese maple partially (about 70%) broken off. How can I fix it? What chemical/plant hormone/material can I use to initiate regrowth of the broken par...
view the full question and answer
Best vegetables to grow in San Antonio
June 06, 2006 - What vegtables are the safest bet for growing in San Antonio?
Thanks
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |