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Chapter 2 <br /> What is a <br /> Native an <br /> a <br /> i The term "native plant" generally refers to a species that is indigenous to a geographic area. <br /> It is important to select plants that are a local ecotype for native planting projects. An <br /> ecotype is a population of a species that differs genetically from other populations of the <br /> same species because local conditions have allowed certain unique physiological or morpho- <br /> logical characteristics to dominate. <br /> Many native plant nurseries consider a species native if it grows no more than 200 miles <br /> from a project site. Because climate varies so much with latitude, a maximum range of 150 <br /> miles north-south and 200 miles east-west is also common. Many scientists argue that <br /> species that grow in isolated patches, and particularly those that do not widely distribute <br /> seeds, should come from sources as close as possible to a project site. This is a good rule of <br /> thumb for native-plant design. <br /> Many nurseries carry cultivars of native species, plants that are bred to retain distinct, <br /> uniform characteristics. However, planting cultivars is risky because there is generally little <br /> genetic diversity among individual plants. If cultivars are planted near natural areas with <br /> native populations of the same species, their uniform genes may change the local ecotype for <br /> the worse, making native plants more susceptible to disease and insects. Because many <br /> cultivars are bred for aggressiveness, they may pass along that trait to their wild counterparts <br /> or out-compete them for light and nutrients. <br /> Cardinal Flower(Lobelia Cardinalis) <br /> photo by Jeff Shaw <br /> 17 <br />