notes and musings from a perennial gardener
An article in today’s Washington Post caught my eye about a new Asian species of moth spotted in this counrty, one I hadn’t heard of before. I quickly did a bit of research. According to Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, we indeed have another invasive species to worry about: the box tree moth. As if spotted lanternflies weren’t bad enough!
As we all try to help pollinators and save our besieged planet, it pays to know what not to plant as well as what to plant. Sadly, not everything on offer at the local nursery is a safe choice. While they may look great in our gardens, some plants selfseed surreptitiously into nearby fields and woods as fast and as thoroughly as dandelions. Invasives greatly accelerate native species extinction, so it helps to avoid adding to the problem. Do you know which common flowers and shrubs are considered invasive?
Don’t feel guilty if you discover you have a few in your own yard — most of us do. Over time though, think about replacing them with safer choices. Check out these suggestions to see what you could swap in for a similar effect.