Doomed cherry tree? Ask any NPN and they will tell you that this tree will be ripped down by these horrible, out-of-control vines. Pity,…they are all the ‘Who’s Who’ of native vines (Trumpet Creeper, River Grape, Virginia Creeper, Poison Ivy) which NPNs shouldn’t be against. But, they will be as this movement ‘matures’ and sets its sights on native plants that “Should know their place in the world!” Here’s one for you: “Water, light, and carbon dioxide are Poison Ivy’s bread and butter.” Doesn’t this describe every green plant in the world? This intentional hit-comment (disguised as a profundity) about this native vine comes to us from a VA Tech associate professor documenting Poison Ivy on the Appalachian Trail. BTW, this native plant has been classified as a neo-invasive—in other words, get rid of it. It occurs to me BWO this guys comment that someday NPNs will say, “Invasive plants are stealing CO2 that native plants could have used.” I wouldn’t put anything past ’em. Pileated Woodpeckers eat Poison Ivy fruit every winter, which begs the question: Why do NPNs want to starve, not just ‘Woody Woodpecker’, but all woodpeckers; they all eat these berries. It would seem that NPNs don’t want them to eat non-native or native fruit.It would be hard for this man these days. He would have to make sure, before swinging on a vine to save his woman, that his vine-of-choice was, in fact, native to the area and, thus, appropriate lest he suffer vine-shaming from PC chimps. At least he won’t have much personal contact in the jungle with any human NPN’s. They won’t visit because they don’t like vines… or, it turns out, Tulip Poplars, either. Ambassador of Ent and NPN fave Doug Tallamy has a poor opinion of this native tree because it does not host enough leaf-eating insects. This is what happens when one’s ecological world view is so razor thin that they can’t see the forest for the leaf-eating larvae.The TP has a multitude of other insects as well as mammals and birds that make it part of a well-balanced diet. His uncommunicated message to this chickadee (and other animals who rely on this tree): “Though this tree has helped sustain your winter survival for thousands of years, it doesn’t necessarily have merit.” His communicated message to the public: “There are unworthy native plants out there.” More agenda-driven nuttiness (samariness?).Suggesting that there is a pecking order among native plants would serve to embolden followers to remove deemed worthless native plants like Tulip Poplars thereby reducing overall native animal biodiversity. We can only hope that this neo-focus on targeting native flora finds it’s place in the dumpster of neo-transient causes. This ol’ fuddy duddy who, thankfully, understood transient causes…slave owner, Thomas Jefferson, liked Tulip Poplars which, I guess, adds to the black marks against these trees. In fact, this man was such a loser that he couldn’t even get grape plants to grow well enough to make his own wine…in Virginia, no less! 🙂 Of course, it wasn’t his fault that he didn’t have ‘Big Pesticide’ around to overcome Mother Nature’s evil plant destroying microbes, native animals, and weather, but I digress.Uh-oh!…grab the machete or the herbicide before these crappy Tulip Poplars get any bigger and take over this opening in the woods. After removal, consult your local NPN authoritarian to find out what is the bestest, most correctest, and most wonderfulest plant you should allow to be living in this bio-zone since, according to NPN hero, Dr. Tallamy, this native tree ain’t it. All this makes me think of your average government program that never ends. To continue to exist, the program expands its mission to stay relevant, extant…and fundant (?). Eventually, it becomes unrecognizable when compared to its own original intent. ‘Environmentalists’ adding native plants to their invasive blacklist follow this similar pattern of corruption through mission expansion. This is how you know that we have a government by the people—because the people do the same dam* thing. Anyway, here’s an important gardening tip for you: If you want to grow something but you need pesticides to do it, better to not grow it at all. Nature (and rightly so) will forever be trying to take out plants (by way of insects, disease, weather) that aren’t meant to grow in your area. So, put the brakes on your dream of a rose garden because you will, in perpetuity, have a fight on your hands. (photo of pesticide application going on grapes…and everywhere else)
