Denis Kearns has some good points. I learned about Euphorbia species the hard way and it took years to get rid of those I had planted when the genus was kind of a gardening fad. Himalayan blackberry is everywhere in the US Northwest and almost impossible to eradicate once it has a mature root system; I did kill a small occurrence of it with a Round-up product labeled "poison ivy killer." Like English ivy, cotoneaster, and holly (Ilex), it's spread by birds. There are some bulbs that are known or designated invasives, but few of them out-compete native species. I've read that Homeria is a problem some places, and Amaryllis belladonna can choke a patch of ground. You might call the hardier Cyclamen species invasive if you saw them here; the seeds are dispersed by ants, and the plants can grow in turf, but the spread is necessarily limited by the routes of the ants. Some Allium species, including western American ones, proliferate more than one would wish. The behavior of Muscari azureum and other commercially available species and hybrids is well known, but we don't see populations away from gardens. The most problematic bulbous plant in my area is Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica), but I think the seeds don't spread far. Jane McGary, Portland, Oregon, USA On 12/12/2025 10:15 AM, Denis Kearns via pbs wrote: > Just a reminder to folks sending, receiving, and growing plants from around > the world; some of these can escape and create significant environmental > damage. As a botanist, I understand and appreciate growing all kinds of > interesting plants, but it’s good to be careful. I regularly collect and > purchase seeds and make it a point to not share species that have the > potential to become problems. > > I’m currently in the process of eliminating all the Euphorbia mellifera > from my new home in coastal Northern California. This an interesting large > shrub from Madeira and the Canary Islands planted by the previous owner. > Unfortunately, it has spread throughout my 0.8 acre property and into the > neighbors’ yards. It has great potential to spread into the coastal > redwood forest as well, so eliminating every single one is my current > goal. Fortunately, the fruits do not seem to be spread by birds, the seeds > appear to have limited dispersal range, and the shrubs are relatively easy > to dig out. I have no idea how long the seed lasts in the seed bank, so > I’ll try to be on top of things and eliminate any new seedlings > encountered. Unlike the weedy annual euphorias, this species appears to > take some time before it flowers; thus, It’s fairly easy to exterminate. > > Other non-native invasives slated for removal on my property, and elsewhere > in this part of California, include Cotoneaster, English ivy, Himalayan > blackberry, and Ilex. Fortunately, there’s no Cape ivy (Delairea odorata) > or Pampas grass, which are much harder to eliminate and serious problems in > coastal California plant communities. All these were introduced as > ornamental plants. > > The Himalayan Blackberries do produce really tasty fruit, but the canes > have gnarly thorns and can quickly get out of hand. I’ll be growing more > well-behaved varieties. > > >> >> Today's Topics: >> >> 1. Re: Fresh seeds (Lee Poulsen) >> >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> Message: 1 >> Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2025 09:47:45 -0800 >> From: Lee Poulsen <wpoulsen@pacbell.net> >> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> >> Subject: Re: [pbs] Fresh seeds > > >> ……….. As far as I can tell, in the case of some new highly desirable >> species, everyone has resorted to slipping a few into a card or letter in a >> regular first class envelope (which doesn?t work for recalcitrant seeds), >> since letters still don?t have to be inspected or have a permit or >> anything. Not what I think the authorities intended when they created all >> these new rules and regulations!] >> >> --Lee Poulsen >> San Gabriel Valley, California, USA - USDA Zone 10a >> Latitude 34?N, Altitude 340 ft/100 m >> > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > https://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > PBS Forum https://… _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net https://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> PBS Forum https://…