This European honeybee recognizes an old ancestral friend: The Black Knapweed, which is also European. Aka Centaurea nigra (I wonder if I shoulda capitalized ‘nigra’ in recognition of these ignorant days), it ranks very high on, both, nectar and pollen production, making it a superstar of the plant world for pollinators (usually flowers are only good at one or the other).
What’s this!? A native bird using a non-native plant?! Oh no!!
So, here’s the deal…the Feds are being sued for destroying habitat in Arizona where an endangered migratory bird procreates. In this case, ‘habitat’ is a euphemism for the Saltcedar. Backstory: the USDA experimentally released a non-native beetle out west in 2001 and ramped up distribution of the insect in 2005, all for the purpose of eating this non-native tamarix that, coincidentally, the bird builds its nest in.
NPNs hate non-natives because they have deluded themselves into thinking that the plants are replacing native ones. But, it’s hard to replace something that was already extirpated due to land overuse. Luckily for this endangered bird, the tamarix exists; can grow under rotten conditions; and provide a home for avian reproductive activities.
Do you know why people really want to do away with this plant? It steals water from them! I am not making this up. This naturalized plant grows along streams like many native and non-native plants are want to do out there, except, according to alarmists, this is the only plant sucking the streams dry. Wow. Only an NPN scientists can come up with a scarenario such as this.
