The Development, Landscaping, Native Plant Paradox
By JENNIFER CORDIER Plant Rescue Team

Flame Azaleas are a native shrub and come in colors ranging from almost red, through orange, to yellow.

As chairperson for the Preservation Committee of the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the rapid development taking place in our mountains. I've received numerous phone calls from residents who want to learn more about native plants and the most frequently asked questions are, "Where can I find native plants for landscaping around my home?" and "How can I improve my rocky soil - what will grow on my ridge?" These recurring questions tell me two things: 1) many residents of our mountains have a deep interest and concern for our native plants and 2) many residents are experiencing a growing frustration with development which destroys the flora, leaving the soil vulnerable to erosion.

To answer the first question, I began to investigate native plant sources. Although native plants are not as readily accessible as commercial varieties, they can be obtained. By looking through various plant and seed catalogues, I discovered the following information:

Beautiful Easter lilys are high demand this time of year. When your Easter lily is finished blooming, don't throw it out. Let it dry, cut off the old foliage and plant it in a partly sunny spot in your garden. It will grow and bloom again.

1) Most woodland plants (Dutchman's Breeches, Black Cohosh, Jack-in-the-pulpit, Solomon's Seal, Mayapple, Baneberry etc.) if ethically propagated/harvested, cost at least $5 per plant and some, such as native orchids, cost much more. If you see a Lady's Slipper plant selling at a local flea market for $5, don't buy it! These plants are threatened, they are difficult to transplant and they should be protected in their natural habitat.

2) Plants which flourish in our meadows and along the forest edge and creek banks (Goldenrod, Ironweed, Aster, Joe-Pye-Weed, Wild Bergamont, Mountain Mint, Virginia Creeper, Yellowroot and more) range from $5 to $15 per plant. Again, always ask about the source of these plants and support only those sellers dealing with ethically harvested plants.

3) Our native trees and shrubs (Sweet Shrub, Spice Bush, Flame Azalea, Rhododendron, Redbud, Fringe tree, Carolina Silverbell, Serviceberry etc.) begin at $15 for a small plant and can cost over $100 for larger trees.

I find this information both informative and disturbing. All of the plants which are native to our mountains can be purchased for large sums of money and can be re-introduced to areas from which they were cleared for development. Now that is a paradox! Would it not make more sense to identify these valuable plants before development sites are cleared, thereby preserving the plants, maintaining the soil and adding overall value to the property being developed?

In the March 7-13, 2007 edition of the Smoky Mountain News there is a story about an exciting project taking place in Haywood County, N. Carolina. The Haywood Waterways Association is taking a different approach to development. Through trained man power and technology the group looks at soil types, slope, proximity to creeks and other factors which result in a natural resource assessment of a development property. From this information, the best house sites are chosen and then roads and lot lines are laid out. The result is more sustainable slopes, reduced erosion, better house sites and, in all likelihood, both cost savings and higher returns for the developer and the buyer. Now, that makes good sense!

For those sites already cleared, it is a good and wise decision to re-introduce native plants to the landscape. For new sites we urge landowners and developers to contact the Plant Rescue Project for help in identifying and preserving those native plants which play such an important role in maintaining our unique mountain environment. You may contact me, Jennifer Cordier (706-745- 9317; ivylog@alltel.net), Glen H e n d e r s o n (abletinker@aol.com) or Joyce H a l l (joycehall113@hotmail.com).