Is going native important to your seeding project?
In the broadest sense "native plant" simply means a plant which was growing on the North American continent at the time Columbus landed. A more practical definition would limit this to mean those species which naturally occurred in a given area before the introduction of species which were not present before human activity became an agent of change. Many of the grass and forb species, which we accept as common are introductions, also called "exotics". While many exotics (such as wheat, barley and Kentucky bluegrass) are useful under certain conditions, there is a growing awareness that non-agricultural open spaces can be better served by restoration to native species. Too often exotic plants can dominate a site forcing out native species which may be better adapted to survive long periods of adverse growing conditions.
Southwest Seed works with standard native species that have become commercially available over the last few decades. Of increasing interest, are our seed plots of hand collected native species which because of limited availability were pretty much ignored by the market and hence the seed industry. This seed is planted in small plots to determine the relative ease of germination. A species, which is too tricky to germinate, or is a poor seed producer will not be very useful commercially.
Revegetation projects, such as pipelines, mine reclamation, oil and gas restoration, or highways are usually bid out with a pre-determined list of species and varieties including the amount of each item to be used. Our staff is accustomed to dealing with the technicalities and the supporting paperwork required by the different states and the various bidding agencies.
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The Environmentally Oriented Landowner is invited and encouraged to visit with the Southwest Seed staff whether you have already researched what is appropriate for your project, or you want to know that whatever you decide to do will be environmentally compatible.
