Native Plants
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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Tuesday - January 03, 2012
From: Golden, MS
Region: Southeast
Topic: Rare or Endangered Plants, Seed and Plant Sources
Title: SITES (or CITES) accredited source for native orchids
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Do you know of a nursery which is SITES accredited which offer North American native orchids? I grow as a hobby indoor ones as well as keep my eyes out protecting the outside native ones we have: Spiranthes odorata and Cypripedium parviflora. Thank you.ANSWER:
I commend you for your care and concern for our native orchids. Because orchids are beautiful, unusual and generally grow in very specialized habitats, they are rare or uncommon and need our protection. SITES (Sustainable Sites Initiative) does not currently have a nursery accreditation program; however, I think perhaps you were referring instead to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). You can search the CITES site for references to orchids; but to my knowledge, they don't do accreditation of commercial retail nurseries. Your best bet for finding reputable conservation-minded orchid sources that are growing the plants from nursery stock and not collecting from the wild is through native orchid associations such as:
Native Orchids of Washington State
The Orchid Conservation Alliance
More Rare or Endangered Plants Questions
Endangered/threatened status for Hexalectris spicata in Texas
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Smarty Plants on Herbertia lahue
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I heard that the plant is a protected species, but I could not find
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Looking for crowsfoot and standing spruce for Christmas wreaths in Maryland
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Information on orchid Spiranthes odorata from Golden MS
December 06, 2011 - I live in N.W. MS and am fortunate enough to receive 'Wildflower'. Even though it's geared to TX I was wondering if you can provide me information on the Spiranthes odorata that sprang up in my yar...
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Possibility of obtaining seed of Styrax platanifolius
March 04, 2008 - Where can I obtain seeds for the Styrax platanifolius written about in your Spring 2008 issue of Wildflower? I have raised from seed quite a few native trees and would like to try raising Styrax.
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