Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Wednesday - July 02, 2014
From: Tacoma, WA
Region: Northwest
Topic: Invasive Plants, Non-Natives, User Comments
Title: Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Foxglove (digitalis purpurea) is not a native U.S. plant. It was introduced to the U.S. from Europe and is now considered invasive in many parts of the western U.S. It invades our forested wild lands and is beginning to colonize our highway medians. The USDA plant database shows Foxglove is an introduced species. You need to click on their link "View Native Distribution" to see that information. The USDA map that is initially displayed only reports a plant' presence in a state, that does not mean the plant is "native" in a state.ANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants wholeheartedly agrees with all your statements above, but is wondering why you have written this to us. Is there somewhere on our webpage that we indicate that the European Digitalis purpurea (Purple foxglove) is a North American native plant?
I searched our Mr. Smarty Plants questions and found six of them that mention Digitalis purpurea (Purple foxglove). In each of those questions (9255, 8606, 8143, 8628, 8579, 8167) we indicate that it is not native. Also, it isn't listed in our Native Plant Database as a native plant. If I have somehow missed it and there is a reference on our webpage that even suggests that Digitalis purpurea is native to North America, please let us know and we will correct it.
More Non-Natives Questions
Digging wild buttercup from roadside in Mechanicsville MD
May 28, 2012 - Mr. Smarty Plants, is it illegal to dig out wild buttercup in Maryland? I see them along the dirt road or just in the ditch. Since buttercup considered weed, I'm wondering what the law say about this...
view the full question and answer
Evergreen grasslike plants for Austin TX
April 15, 2008 - Hi,
I'm in Austin, TX and looking for some evergreen grass-looking plants. Would you explain the similarities/differences between Butterfly Iris and Lily Grass in this regard? Thank you
view the full question and answer
How to grow tulips and daffodils in Central Florida.
March 27, 2009 - My question is how can you grow tulips and daffdoils in central Florida, just south of Ocala, a place called the Villages? I am from the Washington, DC area and truly miss these flowers, any help wou...
view the full question and answer
Failure to thrive of potted blue-green cypress
July 26, 2008 - I received a small 14" potted blue-green cypress for Christmas 2007. Kept it in a bright window, not direct sun. It was doing great until two weeks ago when it started turning brown from the center. ...
view the full question and answer
Seed Habiturf on top of existing St. Augustine from Austin
January 26, 2012 - We don't want to rip up an existing St. Augustine lawn (potential HOA problems), but we'd like to go native grasses (like Habiturf?). Is there anything we can just seed on top of our present lawn a...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |