Reader beware

Recently a good friend of mine, and a respected horticulturalist, posted an article that he got from one of the social media sites on the 10 plants that you should never put into your backyard, written by a US celebrity known for home renovations. This list included plants like mint, bamboo, castor bean, wisteria and even aloe vera. The list explains why all of these plants are invasive, or toxic, or bad for the environment. Some of it is fantastic information for any homeowner to have. Unfortunately, there are the downsides to readers that no one explains

1. Lists like these rarely talk about different planting zones or regions. What are good for some are bad for others. For example, aloe vera has amazing healing properties, but if ingested by your pets, it can cause some serious harm. We can’t grow aloe vera in our backyards. In fact, some of us can’t even grow it indoors. This is a perfect example of what you should be looking for in these articles. Ask yourself if they are really relevant to you before you blindly believe them.
2. The selection of plants that are toxic is a mile long. Too often a few choice ones make it on to a list and we get mass panic. This list warns of castor beans, which are a large annual that has seedpods containing ricin, which is lethal. Castor beans have been around forever; in fact Thomas Jefferson grew one that exceeded 22 feet. To date, we have never had a documented case of someone being ‘castorized’ in North America. Consider instead the rhubarb plant that has a tasty stalk and poisonous leaves yet millions of vegetable gardeners keep them handy for the perfect spring pie. Should all of these be ripped out too?
3. Finally are the invasive species of plants, the ones that will take over if left unchecked. Some of these are definitely worse than others. The list highlights the dangers of mint and how this little herb will ruin your entire backyard. Also looped in, are the evil wisteria and bamboo. I do believe that plants in the wrong spot or handled the wrong way can be a nuisance. I have had several battles with a bamboo that keeps sending up shoots in the lawn. Before I planted it, I should have done a little research and then I would have known where the best spot to plant it really is. This rule applies for almost everything you add to your backyard that didn’t naturally grow there.

The Internet is a great tool for every homeowner when it comes to understanding his or her outdoor spaces. Just try to use a little common sense when you read some of these articles. (Even if the person writing it happens to be a celebrity!)

To read the article, visit shorturl.at/byNSZ

carson@carsonarthur.com