when does a wildflower......

what is the definition please

 

I'm not sure there is one LG other than a flower growing in the wild i.e. uncultivated land - which covers native flora, introduced native flora and garden escapes.

 

A herbaceous species of plant that is capable of growing, reproducing and becoming established without actual cultivation.

 

Wildflowers are national treasures..they add pleasure to car journeys ..walks in the country or at the seaside..Its a great shame so many are dissapearing...allthough you dont need to travel to see wild flowers as the weeds in your garden and in other places such as churchyards even cracks in the footpaths wild flowers emerge from those places..I have loads growing up my drive ..the mr indoors keeps removing them and back they come...some of them are preety and i dont mind those.. some are also extremely usefull..I own a botany book which i purchased from the wild flower society and i fill it in as a hobby when i spot something growing..where ever i may be..

 

Interesting Letter in Amateur Gardening this week
specialy for all our Wildflower experts of which we have many..............
A neighbour mildly remonstrated with me for upsetting the balance of nature by planting a spare bit of Campanula in my local woods.Am I wrong in being unable to see the harm of bringing a splash of colour to a spot where there was'nt any?
Anybody............

 

It would be irresponsible to introduce non native specie into an Area of Scientific Interest but along a roadside I wouldn't have a problem with things like honesty, lupins, daffs, snowdrops, etc. It would be unwise to let loose some of our more rampant imported thugs as they can out compete natives and disturb the local balance of flora and fauna.

 

Afraid I fill my pockets with seeds from foxgloves,poppies hollyhocks and the like,and on my Sunday amble scatter them in patches where there is a space for colour too.

 

Hmm! Well my defintion of a wildflower is something like: a plant that has not been sown, planted or cultivated. Native plants are harder to define because plants have been arriving in Britain since the last ice age. One of the most fascinating studies is to see how they move around. The Oxford ragwort famously followed railway lines and now salt marsh plants like scurvy grass are found well inland on motorway verges because of the salt laid down during the winter.

I do not approve of people sowing "wild plants" in the countryside. Look at the spread of the awful, thuggish Spanish bluebells that are now a serious threat to our native ones. Fair enough to gather a handfull of poppy seed or such and scatter it where you will. BUT please don't buy seed and scatter it unless you really know that it is from British stock. The risk of introducing non native strains is simply not worth the risk to native plants.