I have often talked about the importance of having native flora in a landscape. There are numerous direct relationships between various plants, birds, insects, and mammals. Plants that depend on certain animal species, and vice versa, are essential to the survival of each. A well known example is the connection between milkweed and Monarch butterflies. Oak trees can host as many as 400 different species of butterflies and moths, a wild plum more than 300, and the late summer blooming goldenrod, 100 species. One of the big reasons that we have seen an almost 90% decline in butterflies and moths in some areas, is because of the invasive alien plant species that have escaped and run amok. Most of the native trees have been replaced with non-native ones, leaving nothing that can support the life of our native fauna.
The fact is, humans have created this problem. People decided that they liked certain trees and flowers growing in other parts of the world, so they brought them here and planted them in their yards. The nurseries and garden centers continue to sell them and homeowners, not knowing any better, buy and plant them. One of these problem plants is the Callery or Bradford pear. People are drawn to its conical shape and the pretty white spring blossoms. Although they are supposed to be sterile, they have managed to reproduce prolifically and they are showing up in open fields and along roadsides all across Kansas and Missouri. The problem has been recognized by local parks and recreation departments and they are recommending people cut the trees down, and poison the remaining stump, because otherwise it will simply sprout new trees from the roots. They are even rewarding these citizens by providing them with a native replacement tree.
This is all well and good, except red flags are raised for me whenever the “experts” begin to recommend poison as a means to eradicate the invasives. The prevailing attitude towards using glyphosates (RoundupⓇ) is alarming. It is sold by the gallons in every garden center and home improvement center, and in every city. People use it like water, pretending that it is harmless; when in fact, it is highly toxic, causing serious threats to human health. It is toxic to earthworms and bees, and destroys biodiversity. The long range effects and the number of other organisms that are directly and indirectly affected by its use, is unknown.
Why are humans obsessed with killing? For every solution we dream up to counter problems that we have already created, we merely pile insult on top of insult. We really must get away from this idea that man made chemical concoctions, be it pharmaceuticals, herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides, will improve our world. I once had to cut down a tree that was growing from underneath my house. I applied salt and vinegar to the stump and it never grew back. Let’s return to the natural substances that Nature has provided us with and stop playing with matches.
