Nativars Now and Then: Their History, Use, and Folly
Cultivars of native plants (nativars) have been gracing gardens in Europe and North America for over a century. Though many have developed since 1950, their popularity has soared in recent decades. Some nativars are veering far from their evolutionary path and are attractive only to humans, while others appear to follow in their ancestors’ footsteps, attracting butterflies, moths, ants, bees, flies, mammals and birds. What are nativars? Are nativars too much of a good thing? What are straight species? What are their purposes and applications of both in landscaping?