Articles
Shades of green wildflowers and biodiversity urban planting considerations
Article number
1374_28
Pages
221 – 228
Language
English
Abstract
Today more than half of the worlds population live in cities.
Urban greenspace has become an import habitat for native species biodiversity.
The potential exists for cities to provide refuges for native flora and threatened plants.
Urban spaces are not devoid of native species and native wildflowers.
Urban areas are also often the point of origin of many exotic invasive species, which can spread into adjacent landscapes along transport corridors such as railways and roads, in many cases eventually invading natural areas.
There are many instances of horticultural planting of exotic wildflower mixes into road verges in Dublin City the capital of Ireland.
Some common horticultural wildflower mixes which are labelled as biodiversity, woodland, meadow mixes contain species which are exotic to Ireland and Europe and planting these into the wider landscape poses a threat to native species biodiversity.
Seed mixes for sale in Ireland from the major retail stores were investigated, noting this is a small sample of the wide variety of these unregulated seed mixes that are currently on the European market.
A total of 56 species were contained in the packets investigated.
Forty four or over 70 per cent (78.5%) are considered native to the European region, the concern is that there is no provenance given for the seed on any of the packets.
Twelve species or one fifth (21.4%) of the species found in these packets are species not found in the wild in the European region they occur naturally in parts of Asia, Africa, USA and Mexico.
Introducing these species to our wider natural environment and especially along road verges in urban areas in these times of climate change is a concern.
Only one quarter (25%) or 14 species found in the packets are species considered native to Ireland where the study was carried out.
The contents of these wildflower seed packets are not regulated within the EU and planting these exotic seed mixes have the potential to negatively affect our local biodiversity.
The remaining biodiversity in Ireland and Europe is becoming increasingly marginalized and road verges where these species are being sown into are considered an important refuge for native wildflower species.
Urban greenspace has become an import habitat for native species biodiversity.
The potential exists for cities to provide refuges for native flora and threatened plants.
Urban spaces are not devoid of native species and native wildflowers.
Urban areas are also often the point of origin of many exotic invasive species, which can spread into adjacent landscapes along transport corridors such as railways and roads, in many cases eventually invading natural areas.
There are many instances of horticultural planting of exotic wildflower mixes into road verges in Dublin City the capital of Ireland.
Some common horticultural wildflower mixes which are labelled as biodiversity, woodland, meadow mixes contain species which are exotic to Ireland and Europe and planting these into the wider landscape poses a threat to native species biodiversity.
Seed mixes for sale in Ireland from the major retail stores were investigated, noting this is a small sample of the wide variety of these unregulated seed mixes that are currently on the European market.
A total of 56 species were contained in the packets investigated.
Forty four or over 70 per cent (78.5%) are considered native to the European region, the concern is that there is no provenance given for the seed on any of the packets.
Twelve species or one fifth (21.4%) of the species found in these packets are species not found in the wild in the European region they occur naturally in parts of Asia, Africa, USA and Mexico.
Introducing these species to our wider natural environment and especially along road verges in urban areas in these times of climate change is a concern.
Only one quarter (25%) or 14 species found in the packets are species considered native to Ireland where the study was carried out.
The contents of these wildflower seed packets are not regulated within the EU and planting these exotic seed mixes have the potential to negatively affect our local biodiversity.
The remaining biodiversity in Ireland and Europe is becoming increasingly marginalized and road verges where these species are being sown into are considered an important refuge for native wildflower species.
Authors
N. Smyth
Keywords
biodiversity crisis, pollinators, native species, exotic wildflower mixes, urban biodiversity, urban green space
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