S OF NATIVE PLANTS
CONTRIBUTOR:
JENNY WELCH
and probably never will, as funding for horticultural
research is limited. If you must
choose between a native cultivar and a nonnative,
choosing the native cultivar may be
preferable for multiple reasons. But if you
can use a true native instead of a cultivar, use
it. If the plant is grown from seed, you’ll be
Florida native Blackeyed-Susans are reliable
bloomers and do well in our sandy soils, full sun
and humidity. Here, we see Florida native ecotype,
Rudbeckia hirta var. floridana, a naturally occurring
variety of Central and South Florida. Buy your
Blackeyed Susans from reliable sources and get
the variety that’s right for you—angustifolia for
North Florida, floridana for Central and South.
Blackeyed-Susans are very popular and not surprisingly,
there are dozens of named cultivars sold
in garden centers across the country. None of the
currently available cultivars originate from Florida
native plants. Many do not do well in our state.
doing your part to preserve genetic diversity.
ED: Not all views expressed here may be
agreed to by Jenny Welch, of whom FANN is
a great fan. Jenny contributed an article
which FANN has modified and shortened
considerably.
FANN ON CULTIVARS
FANN will not list a cultivar as a Florida
native plant (in FANN publications and
websites), unless the selection arose
naturally from a native species occurring
within certain southern ecoregions. FANN
will not promote as native a hybrid resulting
from human intervention. FANN encourages
its members to know the origin of their
plants and provide consumers that information
upon request. FANN encourages
all buyers to ask questions and thereby
encourage their supplier to offer answers.
FANN discourages use of the term
“nativar” to refer to cultivars of
native species.
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