Plants in the news: winter 2023

Invasive Tamarisk removal efforts:

From southern Utah, we have this recent story:

https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2023/02/10/agl-local-nonprofit-woodturners-join-forces-to-rid-southern-utah-of-invasive-very-flammable-tamarisk-tree/

Tamarisk (also known as "Saltcedar" and by the scientific name Tamarix ramosissima) is found throughout the state of Utah and not just in southern Utah.  It is a Class III ("contain") designated noxious weed in Utah, and is found in pretty much every county in the state.  In the United States, where it is not native, it is now principally found in the western-central portion of the country and then down into Mexico.  It chokes out other vegetation (and makes it very difficult to find a camping spot along rivers!).  I don't recall reading an article before that focuses on its flammability like this article does.

The power of plants:

This recent piece:

https://www.abc4.com/community/hidden-history/black-history-month/crazy-plant-bae-brings-plant-therapy-to-black-community/

quotes a study indicating that " . .  taking care of plants can aid in stress reduction, alleviate symptoms of depression, aid with memory retention, promote better self-esteem, and make us generally more productive and creative."

This article doesn't focus on locally native plants per se. But, the same idea can be applied to gardening with native plants and helping to protect ecosystems harboring our diminishing natural areas.  So often those of us working in plant conservation are grilled with the question, "Why care?" [in reference to say a rare plant or to plants in general]. While there are so many excellent responses available to this usually mind-numbing question, this response is as good as any.  They benefit us in so many ways (including the fact that we wouldn't exist without them!).

Some good news hopefully for Monarchs:

The winter Monarch count is up:

https://www.upr.org/utah-news/2023-02-06/monarch-butterfly-winter-count-shows-significant-improvement

By no means does this mean that Monarchs are out of the woods and all ongoing efforts must continue at warp speed. Monarch caterpillars only feed on milkweed species and so there is an incredibly important connection between Monarch species survival and native plants (and the adults who require nectar from flowering plants, preferably locally adapted native plants).  Attempting to do as many things as possible to conserve Monarch butterflies is not a recent phenomenon.  Scientists have been concerned about them for decades.  They have been the poster child for the Union of Concern Scientists for a very long time.  But, as with climate change, people were just largely not paying attention to their plight until relatively recently.  Crisis management is how we respond to environmental issues.

Utah Legislature Tackles Wasteful Grass:

https://dailyutahchronicle.com/2023/02/07/langley-grass-utah-drought-water-usage/

Utah is extremely wasteful of its water resources and there needs to be a much bigger push with significant private landowner incentives to replace lawn grass.  And, in fact, until relatively recently, in many homeowner associations and related neighborhood settings, owners were persecuted when trying to implement water-saving landscapes.  An about-face is slowly starting to happen. 

Using the desperate condition of the Great Salt Lake to address our poor water use practices is I suppose fine, but I agree with a quote in this article that it will not be enough by itself to save the lake.  Golf courses should not be exempted from the legislation that is being currently discussed (but through lobbying efforts, which essentially corrupt good governance throughout our democracy, no doubt will lead to their exclusion). 

Meanwhile, an encouraging development from last year that contradicts the long-held notion that front yards with native plants are just a bunch of weeds and must be immediately removed, is this change in Utah's Condominum Act which took effect on May 4, 2022.  Some background:

https://utahhoalawblog.com/2022/06/01/new-2022-hoa-laws-and-what-they-mean-for-your-hoa/

Here's a link to the new Utah law:

https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title57/Chapter8A/57-8a-S231.html?v=C57-8a-S231_2022050420220504

Note from the above that now (Section 57-8a-231):

"(2) An association may not enact or enforce a governing document that prohibits, or has the effect of prohibiting, a lot owner of a detached dwelling from  incorporating water-wise landscaping on the property owner's property."

Nice!

There is in addition to the above section, another reference to landscaping (under Section 57-8-8.1, also effective May 4, 2022 of the Condominium Ownership Act):

"(9) An association of unit owners:

(a) shall adopt rules supporting water-efficient landscaping, including allowance for low water use on lawns during drought conditions; and

(b) may not prohibit or restrict the conversion of a grass park strip to water-efficient landscaping."

See:

https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title57/Chapter8/57-8-S8.1.html?v=C57-8-S8.1_2022050420220504

In a country and particularly in a state that seems to be largely headed backwards towards a less enlightened time, this is a refreshing change in attitude (even if it is happening over the fear of the looming ecological catastrophe, severe human health impacts, and the impact to Utah's ski and therefore tourism industry, that would be the end result of a non-existent Great Salt Lake).

Elks eat Yews and die:

We plant a lot of biological garbage in our yards and then we essentially block wildlife from lower elevation areas where for thousands of years they migrated during the winter.  And now they end up being forced to eat whatever they can find in the foothills (instead of the valleys).

https://kjzz.com/news/local/19-elk-found-dead-in-utah-county-likely-from-plant-poisoning-wildlife-utah-yew-landscaping-animals-dwr

Yews (Taxus, a genus of coniferous shrubs and trees) have no place in Utah landscapes.  Both Taxus baccata and the even more poisonous Taxus cuspida have nonetheless been sold in the nursery trade in Utah (and culvitated on both the University of Utah and BYU campuses since at least the 1950's) and are sometimes used as a hedge or border wall.  One of these species is believed to be responsible for the death of these elk.

Yew poisoning is well known.  For some references see:

https://extension.psu.edu/toxicity-of-yew-wood-and-roots

My recommendation:  don't plant Yews!  And "yank the yews" if you have them already in your yard.