Native cultivars (“nativars”) are being developed at a rapid pace by the nursery trade. Despite marketing efforts to convince the gardening public of their value in wildlife landscaping, little is known about their ecological benefits. In this presentation, an experiment conducted at Mt. Cuba Center in northern Delaware will be discussed that assessed insect attraction and nectar quality of Phlox cultivars vs. species. In addition, a survey of allthe known research on nativars will be presented to determine how they may or may not be appropriate for use in ecological horticulture.
Presenter: K. Nevison, Longwood Graduate Program, Newark, Delaware.
