"native plants" vs. "exotic plants: the illogical mythology of some nativist plant fanatics.

by James K. Sayre

The concept of "native" vs. "non-native" has no legitimate plant in biological science. It is a 20th century invention, first created in the 1930s in National Socialist (Nazi) Germany in a fruitless effort to "purify" their "homeland."

Later, in the second half of the 20th century, in parts of the United States, there arose a similar "native plant" movement. At first, they mostly contented themselves with trying to protect and propagate various small flowers that were being threatened by habitat destruction caused by the growth of shopping centers, malls, condos, highways, factories and homes into previously natural undisturbed areas.

Not content with those good activities, they then decided to start demonizing various annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees which originally came from other countries around the globe. The Blue Gum tree, Eucalyptus globulus, seems to have become a major target in the eyes of the nativist fanatics. Maybe they don't enjoy the scent of eucalyptus oils...

If these nativists had their way, the Hawai'ian Islands would still be barren lifeless rocks and lava. The nativists would be standing at the seashore and would be saying "no non-native plants or animals will be allowed to land, and live on these Hawai'ian Islands." Fortunately Mother Nature has been in control for millions of years and Hawai'i is now the home of many interesting plants and animals.

When people are born in the United States, they are considered as "native-born" and are thus granted automatic citizenship. When Blue Gum Eucalyptus trees sprout from seed in California they are still demonized as "foreign" and "non-native." This is a severe and hypocritical double standard, which should be ended. Grant the Blue Gum tree American citizenship now!

If you visit the web site of J. L. Hudson, Seedsman, La Honda, California at www.jlhundsonseeds.net, you may read their great essay entitled, Natives vs. Exotics: The Myth of the Menace.: Non-native species as allies of diversity. They also have a book review of Invasion Biology, Critique of a Pseudoscience by David Theodoropoulos, 2003, Avvar Books, ISBN: 0970850417. It is available in paperback from Hudson Seeds for $14.50 plus $2.50 shipping. Copies of this book are also available at www.abebooks.com for considerably more money.

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Web page last updated on 30 September 2007.