Surely taking cuttings isn't a crime?

Yes, I think the laws protecting wildflowers are a bit flawed in many ways. If large scale clearance of a area of wildflowers is to be done, then maybe some sort of exemption notice should be issued a month or so before hand, so if people wish, they can come and take whatever plants they want from their first. It would be better than them just being being blitzed.

 

Not all circumstances are the same.
there isnt always someone about who you can ask, in places like council owned parks, and a lot of plants benefit from a little bit of pruning, so if you know what your doing i dont see the problem.
in fact by creating more plants you are being ecologically friendly.

 

"there isnt always someone about who you can ask"

Then you can't help yourself, simple as that I'm afraid.

"in fact by creating more plants you are being ecologically friendly."

Come on now. Its theft. Its not justifiable by dressing up the mutton as lamb.

I'm not wishing to take a holier-than-thou approach, but I don't think a public forum is the right place to publicise such behaviour as being OK

 

You might be being eco freindly, but its still illegal. I agree with the sentiment of the law, but some of the finer details do seem counterproductive to me. When I took on my patch of land I was all full of enthusiasm for making it a proper haven for all sorts of wild flora and fauna. I looked into growing native plants there that are in decline or even endangered. I found that I needed to jump through all sorts of hoops of bureaucracy to do that. I thought heres a law that is supposed to protect our most vulnerable species, and that same law is preventing me from giving them their own safe colony where hardly anyone goes, where they grow in wild conditions but have the benefit of someone going up to check up on things regularly.

 

I walk a fine line-I don't take cuttings from the wild but I do collect seed if I see something that I think would do well. I always have plenty of little envelopes in my bag. I wouldn't dream of digging up bulbs or whole plants or taking cuttings. The thing with nature is that in the wild plants don't need "pruning"-it's only our artificial gardens that require such close attention-no way can anyone ever hope to even come close to the standard of gardening than nature.


I agree that as this is a place where people come for advice in such a public way we must condemn anyone taking from nature-however we may define or rationalise that personally.

 

Collecting seeds from the wild for personal use is usually perfectly legal. There are certain restrictions covering certain species, and certain areas (protected areas) but while you're out and about if you see something you like and its seeds are ready, then usually no law in collecting a few.

Its all in the Wildlife and Countryside act 1981 if you fancy having a read up on it.