Native Plants
Does anyone recognize this? This is yet another argument for promoting native plants and cease the importation and planting of exotics, especially from nurseries. Clemson University is conducting a study to track the southward migration of the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle. They were introduced into this country primarily by nursery importers buying from Asia. The beetle bores into the Ash tree, consuming its sap and hatching their young, up to one hundred per year. Tens of millions of Ash trees have reportedly been decimated by this imported bug. This purple box is a trap that will attract the beetle and capture it for further study and verification. The Emerald Ash Borer beetles have been found in Tennessee and North Carolina. Are we next? The Ash tree is famous for its use in the manufacture of baseball bats – The Louisville Slugger, for example. Promote the use of native plants. Avoid the use of exotics for a healthier environment wherever you live. Join your local Native Plant Society to learn more.
