Judy Ackerman called me earlier today to report that a Parks and Recreation crew from the City of El Paso had just about pulled out the last of the beautiful Desert Marigolds and Desert 4 O'Clocks at Skyline Optimist Park. Why? They are both native species and require little water or attention and they put out beautiful flowers all summer long. The Desert Marigold is even on the recommended list of desert plants for landscaping by the El Paso Water Utilities/Public Service Board.
According to the Native Plant Society of New Mexico, native plants are important:
"All of our native plants evolved here and been subjected to long periods of natural selection. They are perfectly adapted to the climate and habitats of New Mexico. Native plants are in balance with the ecosystem, provide cover and food for native animals, and have developed a surprisingly diverse array of relationships with soil fungi and other native microorganisms. What better plants to grow on any patch of ground than the species that have evolved upon that spot?"
El Paso has a chapter of the Native Plant Society of NM.
Crazy. I'm actually surprised the city has the manpower to hand pull weeds.
ReplyDeleteI think the yellow flowered plant is Desert Bahia (Bahia absinthifolia). Parks maintenance must think I'm crazy for trying to help it spread in my yard. Just wait until they learn I actually bought seeds for the Desert 4 O'Clocks.
As someone who has some interest in native plants yet has accidentally pulled seedlings of desirable plants, I'm not too optimistic that parks can weed a bit more selectively. But I think a supervisor has to at least give permission to leave the attractive flowering plants.
Other city departments are a bit less diligent about the weeds. Streets has some already huge Jimson Weed specimen growing in the Dyer median (along with several less desirable plants) and everyone loves the poppies at the Archeology museum. But then EPCC sprayed a bunch of poppy seedlings at their Transmountain campus a couple of years back.