>  I have been watching this non-native plant debate with interest for a few
>years now, first with yellow star thistle ,now with purple loosestrife.

        It is not very unusual to find plants which are unpopular from the
viewpoint of many other land uses but which are popular with bees and
therefore beekeepers.  Our hillsides of manuka (_Leptospermum scoparium_)
in many cases represent the defeat of attempted pastoral farming but then
can yield very valuable medicinal honey.  _Lantana_  spp are serious weeds
in parts of Australia but  -  if I'm correctly informed  -  a very good bee
plant.  This general type of conflict is, I think, not rare.

R

-
Robt Mann
consultant ecologist
   P O Box 28878  Remuera, Auckland 1005, New Zealand
                (9) 524 2949