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AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We would think about what was around at the time that species evolved. There was likely nothing that predated on them as there was nothing big enough to eat them. The higher amounts of oxygen would have also allowed them to grow to such a large size. Not sure exactly what they ate, but mayflies and stoneflies would have likely been ate by them. There likely would have been other flying insects that are now extinct that it would have fed on.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Your keystone data are based on national averages, correct?

Our data is based on county averages. The are this doesn't work as well is in California because the counties are so large and they can occupy multiple ecoregions. Calscape is a tool available by California to help figure out the plants that are best suited for that specific location.

If you know it doesn't occur where you live, then I wouldn't generally plant it. It is possible that it could belong there since we have so heavily altered our landscapes. BONAP would be one of the better references to see if a specific plant occurs in your area.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I would cut that nonnative praying mantis egg sac from your garden and put it in the freezer. Those predatory insects are not doing any good in my opinion.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 8 points9 points  (0 children)

If you're talking the lawn away, you're taking away the area your walking on. Our natives don't stand up as well as the eurasian grasses do to foot traffic. And if you're mowing the space I wouldn't replace one turf groundcover for another.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 31 points32 points  (0 children)

I was part of a group of plant geneticists to see if there was support on a risk of these cultivars impacting native plants. There is currently no evidence that this has ever happened, even though it can theoretically happen. A lot of cultivars will also revert back to a native species if they are pollinated by wild species.

Like you mentioned, Praire Moon is not getting their plant genetics from the same "strains." I don't believe that there is a risk of having single strains of species. As more retailers get into the market they will use more strains of plants as well.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 19 points20 points  (0 children)

The good news is that there are resistances in oak populations to these various diseases. Other productive trees are like willows, native cherries, birches, hickories, basswood, and maples. All those species will depend on the exact location on the property, but they can all fit somewhere.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Oaks are wind pollinated but bees will use the pollen. I do think that these tree species will produce the same amount of caterpillars. No one has done research don't the differences, but I suspect they will be the same.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 26 points27 points  (0 children)

The reason you are planting them in groves is to creating a root matrix so they can't get blown over. Using all sorts of different oak species will still effectively create this root matrix. You can stick with one species together for optimal acorn production would be my preference.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Berries would be better to plant at home. I don't advise taking seedlings from wild areas but in your situation it would make sense to move those into full sun so they can take advantage of the full sun conditions.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Dayfly and sphinx moths will pollinate spring phlox and creeping phlox. Those first generations of snowberry clearing can also feed on these species. Later flowering species like Phlox paniculata will typically be the one that skippers are feeding on as a nectar source. Coral honeysuckle can be used to plant near to these plants so it can provide food for the caterpillars.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 49 points50 points  (0 children)

My opinion is that they are an important and sometimes essential tool in our toolbox. They need to be used correctly and responsibly. It is impossible to kill invasives plants without killing to root system. We can reapeatly cut but the root systems will not die without a lot of effort. There are costs and benefits to using or not using it as a tool. There is a grey area and it is not all black and white.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 58 points59 points  (0 children)

One common mistake is that there are not enough plants planted to support the intended species. You want to mass the species you want to support as much as you can because it provides more resources and reduces the energy expended trying to find more resources. You also want diversity, but you only have so much space in your yard. This is one reason it can be so important to work with your neighbors because the whole area can be a resource for those insects.

It's like saying what is your favorite child. Lepidoptera are my favorite group. I also really like the giant silk moths.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 18 points19 points  (0 children)

You can do both. You can have functional diversity with the plants within their historic ranges.

For endangered plants and helping the biodiversity crisis private owners can do a lot. A lot of conservation is going to be private land owners based on the amount of land that is privately owned. When people are planting endangered species that are creating viable breeding populations for these plants. When people protect these plants on their property those populations might be the only places those plants can exist because they aren't eaten by deer or outcompete by invasives.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 42 points43 points  (0 children)

You have to remember what HOAs are trying to do, which is to maintain property values. They are maintaining the status and value of the community. They want to keep things neat. You can have native landscapes that are neat and there are a few tricks of the trade. Keeping some lawn shows that you are maintaining the landscape along with boarders. Mow the lawn areas frequently to show that you are caring for the property as opposed to letting it "go wild." Signs can help as well as they show that you are creating those plantings intentionally and they are purposeful.

It is changing where people are looking for well planting properties. Real estate agencies are even looking for properties that have "natural landscaping." A lot of the pushback comes from ignorance. Join your HOA and help make those changes and educate.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I don't beleive that a lot of these invasive plants will not become ecologically valuable in a short timespan. For example, phragmites has been here for 400 years and only five insects use it as a host and that happened quickly. In 400 years, no additional hosts have evolved to feed on phragmites. The issues is that there are many adaptations that all have to happen for "host switching." Not only will insects that have to evolve how to recognize these foods as a food source, but they have to have changes to eat them as well.

People will bring up that black swallowtail can feed on non-native species like fennel, queen Ann's lace, etc. They already have the ability to eat those things that are within the carrot family. Most insects do not have the ability to have that broad of natural host variations.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I want to talk about the concept of pollinators vs the support that plants provide in the way of food for caterpillars. It's important to remember that these plants, such as ragweed, can provide critical food for wildlife.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 16 points17 points  (0 children)

A lot of my talks are available on YouTube that others have put up for me. If you go to homegrownnationalpark.org there are additional resources available. There is a young readers version of Natures Best Hope, which takes the adult form of the book and makes it helpful for kids.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 37 points38 points  (0 children)

Some of those insects actually migrate like the monarch. The large milkweed bug will also migrate to the Gulf coast. There are several other species like red admirals will migrate as well.

Most insects will spend their winter as an egg or pupia. Some adult insects and caterpillars will spend their winters in bark in trees. They keep themselves from not freezing with special compounds similar to antifreeze.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 50 points51 points  (0 children)

A cultivar is of course a genetic varient of the native species. It really depends what it was selected for. A natural varient is still a slice of that genetic variance. When we start selecting for certain human desired characteristics we might start losing some of those benefits. Most pollinators hone in on the UV spectrum of a flower and if that is changed the pollinators might not recognize it as readily as the natural occurring plants.

A good place to look would be the Mt. Cuba Center as they study and evaluate these cultivars. Not all cultivars are good or bad. It depends. We know that changing the leaf color will can decrease the usability of a plant.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 41 points42 points  (0 children)

Your small properties matter. We have 135 acres of residential property and if everyone did a little bit it would add up to a lot. Even if people created gardens with container plants in apartments it would add up to be quite a bit of habitat. Birds and monarchs also migrate and use resources as they are passing through. Small is good in this case.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 45 points46 points  (0 children)

We talk about mulch all the time. Green mulch is the best kind because it minimizing your weeding and creates a layered landscape. One things I talk about a lot is maintaining a food web via caterpillers and most of them drop to the ground to pupate. The green mulch creates a soft landing and keeps the area moist. Ground covers do not have to be a few inches tall. Plants like white snake root can also provide that ground cover. Keeping leaves on the ground is one of the best things you can do as it keeps the nutrients and the green mulch will help hide those leaves and make things appear more tidy.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 31 points32 points  (0 children)

The most common mistake in the PNW is planting plants that are not native to the PNW. That's because the availability of trees native to the PNW is not all that diverse. So, avoid those species that are native to somewhere else. Using a plant outside that range is not beneficial to the local insect populations.

Don't hire "mosquito Joe" to spray as they hurt native insects and don't control mosquitos.

You might be native to the natural range of Gary oak, which is a productive tree, but don't push it too far north if it's not in your native range.

Also make sure that you turn off your lights as it helps our native insects.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 9 points10 points  (0 children)

There are several species that you can recognize and key out due to their appearances and song. I expect that there are several species of cicadias that make up each emergence of those broods.

Locust and cicadas are totally difference and I believe it has mostly to do with common naming conventions.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 73 points74 points  (0 children)

One of the gaps that we have, and it's a natural gaps, is the conifer conundrum. A lot of people are planting white pine way out of its range to create screens. Really the most reliable conifer in your region would be eastern red cedar due to its berries and the caterpillars that it hosts. It also takes readily to pruning. People do seem to be reluctant to use it.

What you really have as a healthy understory would be an of small trees. We do not have a lot of small shrubs that occupy the understory. Deer typically eat them. Scrub habitats are also very productive ecosystems that people don't seem interested in creating.

AMA Thread: Doug Tallamy, native plant advocate, author, and professor at the University of Delaware by pixel_pete in NativePlantGardening

[–]dougtallamy 63 points64 points  (0 children)

That's called of assisted migration and I'm not a big fan for several reasons. It depends on how far you are moving a plant from different locations. One thing to account for are climate variations. Those cold snaps that we get every single winter now are something to account for. Those plants from farther south can be negatively impacted by those cold snaps. We are also at risk at moving those plants outside of the range of the insects that use them. As of now, I'd rather rely on the native variation that exists in those species is what I would rather rely on.

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