Hi Dooley This is Margie Im so glad someone else out there likes wildflowers, Do you think the ones beside the road or out in the wild could be dug up and brought to my garden? That would be so wonderful, I love wildflowers. I planted a bunch of them last summer from seed and they done so wonderful, it really suprised me, some ome of them were like 4or5 ft. tall Oh I cant wait til Spring Spring. Thats the only thing Im holding on to through all this olde cold winter. Have A Great Evening Margie
Margie, I don't know about the laws in Indiana, but in the State of Texas, it is absolutely against the law to dig up Bluebonnets (which is the state flower), but I am not sure about others. Toni can answer this question, as she did last year for someone else. But if I were you, I wouldn't. You can buy the seeds and scatter them where you want them.
Lol... anything goes here in Indiana. I too have gotten "weeds" and planted them on my hillside for this spring from the roadsides and pastures around my house. I have "ditchlillys" or native daylilies, queen annes lace, joe pye weed, butterfly weed, bearded irises and daffodils....all from old house sites and along the roads. I also bought 5 big bags of wildflower seed and scattered it in a new "picking" bed on the bank by our driveway. I too cannot wait for it to come up in the spring. It has poppies in it which is something new for me this year. Anyway, I am all for natives and wildflowers. I love that they are different from what everyone has, and they can be messy, but beautiful. Plus I have a butterfly garden and they are great for them and the birds. Happy gardening!
Wildcrafting, as digging up plants in the wild is called, is illegal in most states. If you are digging them up on private property then you must have permission from the landowner. Digging them up on state owned or federally owned land is definitely a no-no. Be sure the land is not a wildlife preservation area. State and National parks are out of bounds too. Even if you have permission from the landowner you need to make sure you know which plants are endangered, threatened or protected in your state. Does the local wildlife need that particular plant for it's food? Is that the plant you think it is? Some plants have poisonous look-alikes. Some wildflowers will not transplant successfully, therefore the plant dies and has been wasted. Some plants are necessary for the ecology of a region. If you can find seeds or plants at a reputable nursery, then you are not disturbing the balance of nature. And we really don't know what will tip that balance. If you really must have a plant....and have permission from the landowner...take only a few seeds or berries, not the whole plant.
Hi I didnt know it was illeagle to dig up a few wildflowers on the side of the road , Im glad you told me I sure dont want to go to jail for a few little beauties, I just saw a few and thought I would try them but guess not, Ill just keep with my box of them. Thank all of you Margie4
Just wanted to add my .2 cents to the subject. Be careful when buying premixed bags/cans of wildflower seed. Check local extension office for current invasive and/or noxious weed lists. Many of these mixes a good deal of the time contain invasive and or noxious weeds. Some of those you may see listed are: Dames Rocket, Bachelor's Button, Yellow Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris and Linaria dalmatica) and Common Yarrow (A. millefolium). Yes, Bachelor's Button (cousin of Spotted Knapweed) has been named a noxious weed in a few states; Oregon is one of those and I believe Colorado is another. It is currently now on the monitor list here in WA state. I'm in the Palouse area of Eastern Wa and good grief this plant is taking over! I just cringe when I read posts of other gardeners purposely planting them LOL! As far as illegal, I remember in North Dakota (my home state) that it was something like a $5,000 fine for digging up Echinacea angustifolia. Since reading this post though, I just found a list of threatened WA (and Pacific NW) species and can't believe this extensive list! Amazing. Good to know info
