Desert Gardens

» pondwriter - As the drought continues

Bob, do you think that as our country's wasting of water and also its continuing drought, that we all need to consider using more native plant material and doing more xeriscaping?

-- posted by pondwriter

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» Robert Dailey - As the drought continues

In response to As the drought continues posted by pondwriter:

Yes, I'm a firm believer in xeric gardening, xeriscaping and the use of native plants.
Even in the desert, I have found invasive species that were once planted as ornamentals, and now are colonizing areas, forcing out native plants.
So it's not just our yards that are affected by not using as many native plants as possible, but by planting non-native species, we are actually helping to change the ecosystem.
Native animals, both micro- and macro-organisms, find food and shelter in native plants. By introducing species, we may also be contributing to the demise of these organisms.
Those scenes in old John Ford films with the tumbleweeds being blown across the desert are striking, but the tumbleweed is actually Russian Thistle, a relatively recent arrival, introduced into the U.S. through cattle feed in the late 1890's.
They produce billions of seeds, which are inedible to any wildlife that I know of, and I have seen them colonize hundreds of acres. As they dry out in the fall and winter, the large bushes become detached from their roots, and are blown by the wind. As they roll, they distribute seeds, thus further colonizing.
The plant is a bane to farmers, ranchers and gardeners, and is only one of many that have been introduced into the west.
The rest of the country hasn't fared any better. In the south, Chinese tallow trees (again brought as ornamentals) have rapidly colonized river banks, roadsides and fencerows, forcing out and decimating native trees like pine, oak, gum, maple and others.
I know this is a long answer, but I am certainly passionate about this.

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