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Reconciliation Ecology

Articles: Reconciliation Ecology

A view of the Gottlieb garden with fish pond. Photo: Susan Gottlieb

[sidebar] You're invited to an Open Garden Event at the Gottlieb Native Garden on March 18, 2018. Go HERE to register. [/sidebar]

What defines a native plant? This is a contentious subject. Some botanists and biologists believe that once a species has been in North America long enough it effectively becomes native. But that’s not really true, according to wildlife ecologist Douglas Tallamy and others. Our human perception of a “long time” is minuscule compared to the incomprehensible scope of evolution. Because plants and animals in an area coevolve, a plant can function as a true native only if it helped shape the community historically. So while some would argue that a plant native to a similar climate zone in another state is native in Southern California, this belief fails to take into account the needs of local wildlife and the realities of ecology. Just because plants can thrive in our mediterranean climate and can help to conserve water doesn’t mean we should plant them if few native insects can use them for food.

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Voices of the West; New Science on Life in the Garden by Frederique Lavoipierre

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