Hi I am new here, I found this group trying to access a local cactus group. I have a very prolific cactus that I found at a garage sale years ago and have given away starts to all my friend and family. My question is: Do you folks ever host cactus or succulent swaps?

My avatar is the bloom from said cactus. Is there anyone here in Iowa or Chicago (I travel there frequently) who would like a start? I repot before frost.

Hey, all:

I would point out three serious problems with such activities. The first is the harvesting of cacti in the wild by collectors, which is one reason so many cactus species are endangered. This is easy to confirm with the common sense observation that the least attractive/unusual/showy species are the least endangered. Second, the spread of cacti outside their normal range is a primary mechanism that leads to becoming invasive, which impacts native habitats worldwide and reduces native biodiversity. Invasive species are a severe environmental, ecological and economic problem. The third is related to the second and is the potential to spread insect pests which depend on cacti as host plants. Do a search for 'invasive cactus moth'. Due to these serious drawbacks, I would not support such activities as a feature of WiserEarth. Such activities are in fact, or certainly should be, contrary to the goals and ethics of WiserEarth.

David
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Hey, all:

Yes, I applaud the sustainability theme and approach here with WiserEarth, and it certainly fits my own commitment. And I should have offered some practical activities in lieu of trading plants. Sustainability is a complex issue, and I am no expert, so without getting into much detail, there are some things we can apply.

I must first apologize for two things. As a wildlife biologist working on endangered species and invasive species, I have become a chauvinist on the topic of invasives. Ecologically and economically, they are disastrous and we greatly need to increase our knowledge and resolve to eradicate and prevent them. The second item is that the lovely yellow flower I display is a cactus flower, so I should point out, it is <i>Thelocactus setispinus</i> Twisted Rib, native to my part of Texas, and the pictured plant is 83 feet (yeah, I measured) from my front door. It and four other cactus species I have on my place will remain where they are. I say this just to keep things in the open.

Regarding sustainability and common practices, we should first determine if we are arguing an appeal to tradition. 'We have always done it this way, therefore it is good.' If the answer is Yes, we are stuck in that argument, and we should determine if the practice in question should be continued. This can be applied to both trading exotic cacti and other plants, and residential landscaping. The result can be a movement toward sustainability.

I realize changing common social behavior is very difficult to do. E.g., we STILL avoid walking across the path of a black cat. Getting people to appreciate cacti in an arboretum or in their natural habitat is difficult. I do admit I have little frame of reference because of my chauvinism, plus I can go outside and look at my own.

Residential landscaping can be done in a more water conserving manner to some extent by simply using plants from the same geographic area. They are adapted by natural selection to the precipitation patterns of the area and therefore are best suited to it. They are also the best adapted to the pest fauna of the area. Part of the problem here, I acknowledge, is that plant nurseries would rather sell you something whose nativity they can not tell you. There are more native plant nurseries around, so some effort may pay off. If you have native plants, with the inherent seasonal precipitation patterns, added watering may be minimized.

President Clinton issued an Executive Order requiring the use of "regionally native" species "where practicable" on Federally funded projects. This is a good principle to follow to start with in residential landscaping, and suggests you don't have to use cacti (or whatever) if you really don't have them where you live.

There are probably a lot more suggestions to be brought up here, but maybe others will have some ideas.

David
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