The article highlights the irony of gardening for beauty while inadvertently harming local ecosystems. It explains the distinctions between garden plants, native plants, and invasive species, clarifying that invasive species disrupt ecosystems when they spread aggressively in new environments. Many garden plants are exotic and rely on gardeners for survival, but some can adapt and become naturalized. The article emphasizes the need for awareness among gardeners to prevent the spread of harmful invasive species that can damage natural environments.
It's a terrible irony that the gardens we plant to make our personal environments more beautiful often damage the natural world outside our fences.
The term 'invasive species' does have an objective meaning separate from how gardeners feel about the plant.
Most horticultural varieties and exotic garden plants are adapted for different temperature and rainfall patterns than what exists where they are planted.
Plants that can survive without care may spread within the garden or even find a niche outside the garden in the new environment.
Collection
[
|
...
]