Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Cross-pollination/Autumn olive

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Toby Hemenway <toby@patternliteracy.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Cross-pollination/Autumn olive
  • Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:05:23 -0700

Autumn olive is not invasive in the US Pacific Northwest, where Norris lives. It's become invasive in several states (all having summer rain) because various transportation departments planted millions of them along roads, and birds have, predictably, carried the highly nutritious berries all over. Once again, it's a management issue. The plant is not the problem, and I'd be surprised if the modest number sold each year will significantly add to the problem created by the millions planted by gov't.

It's an N-fixer, and its ability to coppice (be chopped down and return) is a superb way to deliver nitrogen to depleted soils.

There is an astounding absence of evidence that an exotic plant species alone has ever significantly contributed to the decline of a native species; check the literature (so nicely compiled by David Theodoropoulos). It's an assumption we make that almost never stands up to examination. The culprit is always prior habitat destruction and disturbance that harmed the "natives" and favored the "invader" (totally unscientific terms, by the way).

Douglas Fir, a hallmark and beloved species of my bioregion, is not native to the Northwest. It came from elsewhere and was a highly successful invader at one point, as it is now in New Zealand, where it, too, was planted by the millions.

Toby
http://patternliteracy.com


Adrienne Juergens wrote:
Hi Norris,
I thought it might be worthwhile mentioning that Autumn Olive is a
very invasive species and can take over an area fairly quickly (since
the birds love to poop out the seeds), and eventually crowds out
native plants. I don't know the plans you have for it, but I've tried
without much luck in chopping it back as it comes back quite
vigorously. If you want to check out native alternatives, there is a
great website called: www.wildflower.org

These are some native alternatives to Autumn Olive from that webstie:
Baccharis halimifolia (eastern baccharis)
Baccharis neglecta (Rooseveltweed)
Carpinus caroliniana (American hornbeam)
Hamamelis virginiana (American witchhazel)
Morella cerifera (wax myrtle)
Shepherdia canadensis (russet buffaloberry)
Styrax americanus (American snowbell)
I don't know if they would work for cross-pollinations with your
other Elaeagnus, but maybe it's something to consider.
But that site, www.wildflower.org is a GREAT resource for info on
native plants, their requirements, their uses, ability to attract
wildlife/birds, etc.
I hope that helps,
Adrienne Juergens

On Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 12:11 PM, Norris Thomlinson<norristh@gmail.com> wrote:
Does anyone know whether a seedling of a self-fertilized plant will
generate a plant genetically different enough to give the benefits of
cross-pollination?

Specifically, I have a mature "Sweet Scarlet" goumi (Elaeagnus
multiflora) which is very well self-fertile, but is supposed to do
better with a partner for pollination. I started three seedlings from
saved seed, with surprisingly low germination rate compared to the
Autumn Olives I started--are the self-pollinated seeds less viable?

If I plant one of the seedlings, will it improve the fruit-set of the
original mother plant?

Thanks for any information anyone can share!

Norris Thomlinson
_______________________________________________
permaculture mailing list
permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Subscribe or unsubscribe here:
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
Google command to search archives:
site:https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/permaculture searchstring



_______________________________________________
permaculture mailing list
permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Subscribe or unsubscribe here:
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
Google command to search archives:
site:https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/permaculture searchstring







Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page