Regarding nativism and flora, some years ago I organized a NARGS winter study weekend focusing on bulbs, and one of the speakers I invited was a woman from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) who had published on bulb importing from Turkey. I was aiming at information on the danger of depleting natural bulb populations for commercial sales, but what we got was a fiery talk on the danger of planting exotic species anywhere. First thing in the morning, too: it really woke up the audience. I have become cautious about anything put out by that organization. It seems that invasive plant species are more likely to be spread via agriculture as weed seeds contaminating crop seed and animal fodder, than to emerge from ornamental gardens. However, it's interesting to visit other countries and observe my own "native" ornamental plants flourishing there as weeds: California poppy (Eschscholzia californica, and if you can spell that name better, go ahead) in Chile, where it's popularly believed to be a native wildflower (copas de oro); Russell lupines (Lupinus hybrids based on Pacific Northwest species) in New Zealand and southern Patagonia. The Crocosmia mentioned here by Robin Hansen, popularly known as Montbretia, is common on the Oregon coast and many people think it's a native; it is a pest there, and a clump in my neighbor's yard has seeded through the fence. (The same neighbor planted a "wildflower mix" that caused me a lot more trouble, mostly with a Geum.) I always try to dissuade people from planting flower seed mixtures, which generally contain a few ferocious self-sowers. Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…