On Sat, 4 Jan 1997, (Thomas) (Cornick) wrote:
 
>   Well think about this- honeybees are not native to Nothh America either I
> hope no one goes around destroying feral colonies for that reason.
 
Nope, not that I know of.
 
> Now the highway departments you speak of are probably the same folks
that
> planted all those olive shrubs along the roadside.
 
That was mainly at the behest of the soil conservation service in the
early-mid 20th century... the russian olives were cheap, and hardy, and
held soil.  Also ugly as sin, non-native, and sometimes invasive.  But
what can you expect from a bunch of engineers?  ;-)
 
Seriously, there's been a lot of work in the last 10-15 years on
shifting from the model "smooth bromegrass road ditch" that is pretty
high maintenance to a much more natural plant community with native
species.  Started with the biologists, but we've gradually convinced
more and more road departments that they can cut costs, increase
tourism, and please lots more folks by getting rid of the bromegrass and
crown vetch and using native species (which also tends to extend the
blooming season from just after last killing frost to several weeks after
first killing frost in the fall).
 
For models of such programs, look at Iowa, Minnesota, or Texas, just to
name a few  (most have web presences).
 
There's certainly a valid place for plants like sweetclover, white dutch,
red clover, etc. -- in fields of cultivated plants, in areas of mixed
agriculture, in lawns, in waste areas that aren't being reconstructed
with native plants, but they really don't belong in reconstruction areas
or in native plant sites.  They're great plants.  But monocultures don't
have the long-term stability of communities of native plants, and they
can't support the wealth of species in the long run.
 
Kay Lancaster    [log in to unmask]