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Native etc.



What would be the consensus on a plant
that is native to temperate estern North America but not to this region? I
was at the nursery today and was attracted to the Prairie Switchgrass
(Panicum Virgatum) but upon looking it up in the plant encyclopedia found
that it is native to the midwestern prairies.
Looked it up in Radford (et. al), Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. Says it is a component of savannahs and such on the Coastal Plain, though I collected it in Raleigh about 30 years ago.
An interesting thought; praries, or rather, prarie vegetation was a part of our Southeastern flora in the past, until farming, draining of the "praries" (savannahs), and other disturbances. I would suspect that a lot of prarie species are actually a part of our native flora.
About natives being invasive, I got my mom a Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum montanum - I call it Frost Mint), hoping it would attract hummingbirds and butterflies. It did attract a few, but mostly attracted the most awesome array of wasps. No real harm there, as the wasps never offered to sting, but the stuff took over the garden! She finally had to uproot it. Shame - I enjoyed the wasps, though never could figure out what kind they were...

Saw a nice Baltimore Oriole at Lowes in East Asheville (South Tunnel Road). Also a nice Green Heron on the creek there. I also keep hearing a strange flycatcher call there, sort of like "fee-a-wee", kind of buzzy - not a Phoebe (heard one at Haw Creek Park, near the East Asheville Library this PM), and not a Peewee. Have not a clue. Sings mostly before about 11:00 AM. Maybe some intrepid birder can go there and "get" it...

--
Alex Netherton
The Appalachian Naturalist
Asheville, NC
http://alexnetherton.com
alex@alexnetherton.com