Propagation of Dame's Rocket?

There is a ditch along the main road to my driveway that is in a purple haze of bloom right now (light lavender and darker violet). I'm pretty sure the wild flowers are Dames Rocket. I am interested in creating the same effect along the edge of my drainfield and the woodland. I don't know the first thing about seed collecting or sowing. I'm assuming these flowers will produce seed, but how and when can I collect them? Once I have seeds, how and when do I sow them? Any advice??? thanks, terri

I planted mine is Spring and they came up and bloomed the next year. They are easy to get started and myself I love the look of them.

Yikes - Dames Rocket is an invasive species everywhere but the Deep South and is prohibited in three states:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=HEMA3

Why not plant a true native like Phlox divaricata or Phlox maculata?

I'm not sure I understand what is or is not a true native. Also, why wouldn't a true native be invasive sometimes? I know that some plants are introduced from somewhere else and take off like wild fire, crowding out the native plants. Where did Dame's Rocket come from? I have some in my yard and I like it. It does not appear to be invasive in our high desert environment.

It's a native of Eurasia. I used the term "true native" because it appeared that the original poster thought that this species was native to North America, since the thread was sited in the Native Plants forum.

Whether a species occurring in its native environment can be invasive is an interesting philosophical question. As a general rule, invasive species are those that tend to create monocultures in the wild by out-competing other species. That is far more often true of alien than native species, since alien species often lack the natural competitors and biological or climatic controls with which they evolved. However, there are certainly a few native species that are particularly aggressive under certain conditions (disturbed soil, succession after fire, e.g.).

Dames rocket is extremely easy to grow from seed. They have long flat seed pods filled with smallish brown seeds. When you have the seed just throw 'em around where you want them a lot of them will grow for you and next year or the year after you will have a mass of blooms. You can check for young plants as well. They do form a taproot so older ones will probably not transplant well. Do not be surpised if even the very young ones wilt at first. Keep them moist and they should perk up in a day or two.

In our hot dry climates this plant is not a problem and will grow when a lot of the native phlox will not - I lived in Texas and this plant just did great and never really spread at all after several years in the same spot.

As this forum encompasses both native and wild plants, the post is fine. Dame's Rocket is an escapee from gardens, and like daisies and Queen Anne's Lace, seems to have a worse reputation than it deserves.

As to natives being invasive, take may apples or tall Solomon's Seal, which spread a heavy root system over the top of anything else that may be growing and very successfully wipe it out. I've seen areas in the woods where these two native thugs have covered both trillium and jack in pulpits to the point of extinction in that area.

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm new to DG, and have been reading several different threads that discuss definitions of native, true native, naturalized, wild plants, escapees, invasive, etc. I'm starting to realize/understand that these terms pertain to different things :-) I didn't know if Dame's Rocket was native or not, I just categorized it as wild because it grows wild in one of the roadway ditches in my area. I've been seeing them every spring for at least fifteen years, and in all that time it has not encroached beyond the ditch into the adjoining fields or woodlands. My property is all woodland except for a small clearing around the house and a 50' x 100' drainfield. The habitat where the Dame's Rocket is growing (sunny strip adjoining open field on one side and shaded woodland on the other) is exactly the same as the area at the edge of my drainfield, so I thought it would be a good choice. I guess I could still try it because it hasn't spread invasively from the ditch, but I'd keep an eye out for any initial signs of invasiveness where I'd be planting it.

I am interested in true native plants to complement garden shade plants for the woodland areas near the house. What I've been given by nature to start with is deciduous forest, mountain laurel, mayapples, and ferns. I'll try plox divaricata and maculata as suggested by jsorens, any other suggestions??? thanks, terri

Kathleen, when this Native Plants forum was set up, there was a big discussion about the name of the forum, and the administrators insisted that this forum would be for native plants only, despite the name. Some of us were very concerned that it would turn into a forum for invasive & naturalized wild plants. Obviously, I don't think we're in danger of that right now, but it might be something for us all to keep in mind.

This message was edited May 30, 2008 4:12 PM

When this forum was set up in 2001 it was called Wild Plants Forum. Eventually, it morphed at least twice to its present format. There is an Invasive Plants forum where there is much discussion about invasive aliens.

In the context of this thread I think the note at the top of the forum is adequate:

"Many gardeners are interested in the plants and flowers that grow beyond our gardens - in fields, woodlands and ditches. Here's a place to talk about these plants, some of which are endangered species."

While Dame's Rocket isn't a native, it is often wild. I realize that there are states that forbid its sale and there is much debate about it as an invasive. I think that has been duly covered here.

Thanks, Jsorens, for answering my questions. Since it is a native of Eurasia, I would not call it native to North America. To tell you the truth, I thought it was native because it is a tough little character and shows up in my yard every year. It is a wild plant, since, as far as I know, it isn't cultivated. I did have some Missouri Evening Primrose for several years that got out of hand. I finally got it all out. It just was way too happy.

aspenthomas/terri, I don't know a thing about Dame's Rocket but want to give you a big hearty welcome to DG and to this forum. Welcome, welcome, welcome!! :-)

I would recommend Phlox divaricata over dame's rocket regardless of native status. Woodland phlox will bloom over a much longer time period, has more flowers, and is extremely easy to propagate.

As far as native/ naturalized, I think it is important to remember that even though you like the plant and want it in your garden, it can and will be spread by many vectors that will take it to places it can be a noxious weed. Remember at some point, somebody though plants like garlic mustard had a use too and needed to plant them. Now look at what that has become. Personally, I think anything with such a destructive potential should be avoided.