Using Local Native Plants: Keep it Simple, Keep it Real

Dan Segal, owner of The Plantsmen Nursery near Ithaca, NY, talks about fundamental definitions, characteristics and roles of native plants, some industry-based challenges facing native plants, and why and how we should grow native plants from seed.

[@threeriversforge1997]

Trying to find local eco-type natives is a real chore. The Horticulture industry sure doesn't help, that's for sure. When I got out of the industry, there was zero talk about natives or helping the ecosystem. Instead, it was all about making money and streamlining the production. And today, we can see the results of that with even the big names here on RUclips constantly pushing the same plants over and over again. Now, when you go around a neighborhood, all of the plants are the same because every house bought their plants at the local big box store. To be fair, I'm a huge fan of cultivars that are adapting the size of the native plant to something that's more manageable. I'm currently hunting for some Ilex vomitoria that's short enough to be a hedge, and which turns out bunches of berries. While that's not exactly "native" in the truest sense, it is at least not a non-native or invasive species. If I tried to plant "regular" Yaupon Holly, I'd have a very hard time trimming it to shape so it was a decent hedge. The cultivars, if there are any, are at least offering us some small chance of beating back the battalions of non-native plants that are killing our ecosystems.

[@jenniferspring8741]

You mentioned using cuttings, isn’t that a clone? How do you work diversity into the plants that you like to take cuttings from?