Challenges with Cultivars The long-running native plant cultivar debate stems from concern about their ecological functionality and possible environmental consequences.
By Tom Oder ‘Pink Double Delight .
When the native plant movement began in the 1970s, one of its goals was to educate the public about landscaping and gardening in an ecologically sustainable way. A half-century later, the buy-in has been more than anyone bargained for.
Photo by Corine Holtmaat
The growing number of native plant enthusiasts demanded innovations in native flora available at local nurseries. In response, the horticulture industry provided an increasing number of cultivated forms of native plants designed to enhance desirable traits, such as attractiveness to pollinators, aesthetic value, disease resistance, and consistent performance. Nursery growers and breeders in the United States and abroad, in both the native plant community and the ornamental sector, had cultivat