A gardener recently had a bit of a shock after they planted a packet of seeds described as "Native Northeast U.S. Wildflowers." They weren't native, it turned out. At least not all of them.
When the gardener went to Reddit and posted a photo of invasive morning glories growing among what were supposed to be native flowers, they were told this wasn't unusual.
According to the California Native Plant Society, lots of "native" seed packets can contain non-native seeds. It's easy to assume that if a packet of seeds has "California" in the name, it means the seeds are native to California.
Unfortunately, that's not always the case.
"It's important to carefully read the list of included flowers before buying," warns the organization.
A University of Washington study of 19 seed packets labeled as native wildflowers found that each packet contained non-native, and downright invasive species of flowering plants.
Eight even had seeds for plants considered noxious weeds in parts of the U.S. and Canada.
"I can't recommend using any wildflower seed mixes," says Lorraine Brooks, who helped with the study at the UW's Center for Urban Horticulture while earning her bachelor's degree.
Part of the problem with spreading seeds from packets labeled as wildflowers or native wildflowers is it can be difficult to know exactly which region the plants are suitable for.
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Spreading the seeds near woodlands, or any patch of relatively wild space, can introduce invasive species without meaning to.
This can be especially problematic, as many people have turned to planting native species as a way to support local biodiversity and to help preserve pollinators. And healthy pollinators mean a healthy food system for all of us.
The Redditors responding to OP's post were not pleased.
"Sometimes the native seed packets put non-native annuals [in] just to make it seem like it's doing well," wrote one Redditor.
"Should be illegal," another responded.
If you're interested in growing native plants, check out our guide to rewilding your yard to do it the right way.
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