One of the new features of the DB

As part of the upgrade to the Plants Database, I added a checkbox in the Misc. section for plants that may be a protected species. I know it's a complicated and complex issue, and there are at least two sides to the argument :)

But for those who would like to know which plants are considered protected, I thought it might be a good footnote to the plant's entry.

If you see any in the database that should be so noted, please email me or post back here, and I'll be glad to edit the entry for you.

Brilliant idea g_v. Easy to forget this sometimes.

Plants that are protected in one state may be noxious invaders in another state or region. Is there a way to reflect the protected part(s) of the country for these plants in the DB?

Example: Is this plant protected? Where? (Northeast, Central Plains, Southeast, Florida, Southwest, Northwest, Hawaii, UK, Germany, other)

Lupinelover, the best way (at least for now) is to describe the area (or better yet, the conditions) under which a plant may be invasive in a Comment.

Ditto for those considered an endangered/protected species. (Both the invasive and protected boxes *can* be checked for an entry, although I'm struggling to come up with an example of a plant that is simultaneously endangered and invasive in different parts of the U.S. I suppose it's possible once you start talking two different continents.)

Cattails, as well as most water or bog plants are native to, and often protected in northern states, but have become major pests in parts of the deep south, as well as Hawaii.

Trillium. (A friend originally from VA declared her area of mountainous part of state to be "infested" with triullium, and she and all her gardening friends ripped them out by the carloads, well into the '80's.)

I agree, most "noxious invaders" are from other continents, but North America is pretty big and covers a vast array of climates and growing conditions. That is a big part of the problem with treating "plant invaders" the same by Federal law. Places like DG are part of the solution -- not only rate each plant on its own merit in one place, but evaluate it all over the world, and let each person (or region) decide for themselves.