Sweet William/ Dianthus barbatus: Weed, Wildflower or Garden Classic? (the problem with) Wildflower Seed Mixes
Sweet William/Dianthus barbatus is in full flower on the acreage, always lending itself to pretty pictures, making pollinators happy and making me chuckle/shake my head at the idea of mainstream "Wildflower Seed" mixes. Video, photos and words to follow. Here's the YouTube video, as usual, I will link the Spectra (Peertube/Fediverse) link at the end.
Buyer/Sower beware! The words "Wildflower Mix" when seen on seed packets don't mean a lot. "Wildflower" itself is a bit unclear- technically it just means a flowering plant growing wild, not planted, not cultivated. You might think it means a native plant, but not necessarily so. The plants growing wild at a roadside near you could be a mix of natives and escapes from gardens or agriculture- even non-natives deliberately sown by local authorities for ground cover, erosion control etc.
In some cases, the non-natives may be plants that play well enough with others and are simply adding to the biodiversity (though we are getting into territory sure to be hotly disputed). Other species are so solidly established in the local environment that there is little point in attempting to control them, they are probably used by domestic and wild animals and pollinators and are not forming monocultures that threaten native species with exclusion. The third category, though, is invasives-non-natives that may be expanding their range and numbers, reducing habitat for native species of plants, insects, wildlife, and possibly having other negative qualities, such as reducing the quality of grazing in pastures or the value of crops.
Your 'Wildflower' mix could have nearly anything in it- some garden flowers not likely to make it longer term in the rough and tumble of an uncultivated site, maybe some actual wild plant forms, but not necessarily from your area, so which of the above categories might they end up fitting in? But, worst is that in order to have plants that will germinate, survive and flower when seed is simply broadcast in an untended area, chances are high there will be plants bordering on if not all out invasive!
Unless there is fine print to back up the claim that these are actually desirable native plants in your region and/or you are buying from a reputable supplier of native plants/seed, there is a good chance that what you are buying will be plants from somewhere else with a track record of vigour to the point of weediness. Roadsides and pastures around the world are filled with pretty flowers that seemed like a good idea but choke out native species- what uncommon flowers and the specialised bees and butterflies that depended on them have been lost? How much time, money and toxic chemical is being expended by agriculture when the newcomers contaminate crops or repel or poison animals?
Likely a few seeds in your backyard won't result in weedmageddon, and in some cases we simply won't know which innocent seeming ornamental of today will become tomorrow's purple or yellow menace. But we can still demand better of suppliers- avoid the vague and non-regional (what might be just right for a wild meadow in England will certainly not be native to Alberta, though might include half of our top agricultural weeds!). Real natives might need more careful sowing and transplanting- scattering seed can work at times, but often has very limited results. An easier way can be to buy a few appropriate plants, plant them into your desired spot, treat them well until established and let them seed about on their own.
Today's example is not an environmental disaster- the Dianthus growing on the acreage from a "wildflower" mix long ago has not spread into wild areas to crowd out native plants, nor does it form monocultures. The short-lived perennials are very numerous in mowed areas at one end of the property, but they mix with grasses native and not, some actual wildflowers, and weedy things like clover, dandelions etc. Wherever they are left to grow unmowed- edges of veg beds, compost or woodpiles etc- they flower in a wide range of colours. They are much loved by pollinators, especially butterflies, skippers and moths (you can see various critters flitting about in the video) and I enjoy their colours. The flowers (only the flowers, I believe) are also edible, but I'm not really a flower eater, seeing just how many bugs large and small are on flowers when I photograph them!
I do, though, find it hilarious that they were sold in a wildflower seed mix in North America- not only are they Eurasian plants originally, this is not even the wild form of the species, which would have been all more or less one colour. The wide range of colours and patterns in these tells you that this seed comes from varieties selected over centuries of cultivation! This is 100% a garden plant, even if able to survive in the semi-wild.
There are also some Ox-eye Daisies on the acreage that I think come from that mix- this one I try to keep mowed and not let them seed or spread- this is a problem invasive species in pastures in Alberta. If you love daisies, there are numerous native asters and fleabanes to scratch that itch, and probably other garden species that are not invasive. On the other hand, there is an Eryngium in just a couple of spots that may or may not have the same origin- I've been trying to get these to flower and seed- they are often getting mowed- I'd like to get some into a garden area!
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