Dear Mary Sue: Thanks for your message. I understand your point of view. But where does one stop? There are so many trees, as an example, that are not native to the area along Highway 1, should they be removed as well? These are perhaps even more detrimental to native flora. Development along this highway is also causing problems. I understand your concern, but also feel the funds needed to eradicate such a problem as the watsonias, could be better used to protect other areas. A dilemma I know, wish there was an answer that considered all such aspects of eradication of foreign flora and other problems that disturb the flora. Cheers, John E. Bryan Mary Sue Ittner wrote: > > Dear John, > > The Watsonias are crowding out the beautiful native plants along highway > One. I know that you have a fondness for Watsonia, but this one because it > produces all those cormlets in the stalk and seed and expands below as well > is a menace. The cormlets get projected out a way and soon the area expands > dramatically so all you see for quite a distance is Watsonia and much of > the year dead Watsonia leaves which aren't attractive at all. No one comes > along the road to cut back those leaves and destroy the corms so every year > they expand. And to my mind the flower on this species is not dramatic for > very long. It is rare that I have seen it looking very attractive when I > have passed it on the highway. There are some Watsonias that have also > naturalized along our coast that are really very pretty for several weeks > in the spring. Their clumps expand where they have been planted, but you > don't see the area around them in every direction become solid Watsonias. > > I wish there was a way that nurseries were prohibited from selling this > species to anyone in California and hope Lee will never plant his > out. When I explained the problem to Jim Duggan he took this species out > of his catalog and I appreciate Lauw doing this as well. If we know that a > plant can be a problem in one temperate Mediterranean climate it seems > important to do what we can to prevent it becoming a problem in any others. > > Mary Sue > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php