Wildflower seed mixes not same as native seeds
If you are a hard-core gardener, you have probably noticed that seed catalogues are now available and nursery racks are stocked with seed packets. Planning for spring planting is what keeps many people motivated during grey skies and winter days. I’ve already received several invitations to the various Seedy Saturday events throughout the region, and hope to chat with many gardeners and homeowners at these fun community gatherings.
This brings me to the topic of wildflower seed mixes. It’s one of those subjects where I feel I am repeating myself every year; however the friendly reminders are warranted.
Wildflower mixes are becoming increasingly popular, and can be purchased off the seed rack, through mail order catalogues and over the Internet. They are commonly included as a bonus gift when other purchases are made from seed supply companies who are eager to capitalize on new product lines.
They are very common in souvenir and gift shops, and offered by various non-profit organizations as fundraisers.
Greeting cards and wedding invitations with embedded seeds are appearing more and more frequently. The concept is wonderful and to many, the idea of a garden or field of beautiful wildflowers is the perfect landscape. So what’s the issue?
Since wildflower seeds are readily available and many people take them at face value, it is incumbent on those of us who are concerned about the ongoing introduction of invasive plants, to speak out about the potential hazards of these seed packets.
The seemingly earth-friendly idea of cards and invitations made of recycled paper and embedded with flower seeds may not be a great idea if the wildflowers are potentially invasive. Remember that “wildflower” does not mean the same thing as “native plant.”
There are three main problems with wildflower mixes. The first is the assumption on the part of many purchasers that a packet of wildflower seeds contains seeds of wildflowers that are native to the local area or at least, in our case, native to the Pacific Northwest.
There is absolutely no guarantee that this is true, and in fact is usually not the case. Plants are wild somewhere (unless they are a horticultural development), so calling these wildflower seeds is not really a misnomer, but it is misleading to buyers who want to bring some nature back to their gardens. Although buyers may end up with some flowers, these are unlikely to be wildflowers native to the local area.
The second problem is that in most cases, wildflower seed packets do not list the species they contain or they only list common names and not Latin names. There is always the chance that they contain invasive species and possibly even noxious weeds.
Thirdly, pictures of fields of brilliantly coloured blossoms of a variety of species may fool purchasers. Research from Alberta indicated that trials done using a number of different seed packets showed that only a few species are likely to germinate.
It is important to know exactly what is contained in the seed packet. Common names are not good enough.
As one example, the common name Bluebells can mean Campanula rotundifolia in one region, Mertensia species in another region and Hyacinthoides nonscripta in yet another region.
The name "daisy" is another good example of the confusion that can be caused by common names. There are dozens of species that go by the name daisy. Some daisies are invasive species such as Scentless Chamomile (Matricaria perforata) and Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare).
Other species I would classify as invasive plants that commonly show up in wildflower mixes include baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata), knapweed species (Centaurea, particularly bighead knapweed = lemon fluff) and blueweed (Echium vulgare). An Internet search of wildflower mixes that attract butterflies revealed yellow or common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris), hound’s-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale), St. John’s-wort (Hypericum perforatum) and purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) as common components of the mix. In poor quality mixes, invasive plants may also occur as contaminants.
As a service to their customers, some seed companies indicate provincial and state level restrictions for their products but do not have the capacity to indicate those species designated as regionally noxious.
Companies that export worldwide argue that it is a significant challenge to remain current with all weed legislation. While many do understand the concern, they suggest that it is the responsibility of customers to know the laws of their locality.
Under current legislation, the provincial government does not have the ability to prohibit the sale of plants from out-of-province. Proposed changes to the BC Weed Control Act regulation will address only portions of this challenge.
This means we will need to continue the education process and encourage everyone to make good choices about plants.
For information on invasive species go to our website: www.oasiss.ca or contact the Program Coordinator for the Okanagan-Similkameen, Lisa Scott, at 250-404-0115.