Greetings

I think it is a very important point that the question about what is and what is not an invasive species is not one that beekeepers are particularly concerned about. Many of our most important bee plants are so called invasives. Certainly many of the ones in my area are. I have a thick book on invasive plants written by a good friend of mine and his daughter. Practically three fourths of the plants in there are good bee plants. 

In my area I would hate to see the following rooted up and eradicated, even though they are listed on many hit lists: Dandelions, Barberry, Mountain olive, Multiflora rose, Black locust trees, Sweet clover, Spotted knapweed, Japanese knotweed, the list goes on. One thing that is left out of all of these discussions is that the fauna and flora of any given region changes over time. Change is what nature is all about; meadows turn into woods, forests turn into deserts, swamps dry up and turn into meadows. Only mankind has ideas about "natural balance", "indigenous species", "invasives". Nature's motto is more like "whatever works".

plb

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