On collecting native plants for trade

I know that a lot of people use the excuse that they are "saving" plants from destruction when they are trading native, wild plants. I also know, that in some cases, that is true. I just wanted to share a picture of my neighbor's property who is intently leveling his hill out here in the National Forest.
I collected on that hill last fall w/permission. This year, the destruction has started again much earlier than I had thought it would. I obviously did not collect close enough to the edge as now it is receeding again and the plants there are not up out of the ground for me to find them. More wasted orchids, jack-in-the-pulpits, trailing arbutus, etc!!!
Debc

Doesn't that just make you so sad.

What a shame, why is he leveling the hill?

Not sure...either a house or maybe pasture??? But since his wife is gone really don't expect pasture

I hope many of those plants come back especially around the edges, they can be very resilient.
Josephine.

Maybe some, but certainly not the orchids and jack-in-the-pulpits. Of course, the sheer shale banks...nothing will grow. We have some of those around our house and I still need to find something to grow on them...but probably never will, as the plants just slide down the bank with the newly loosened shale pieces.
Debbie

That sound like a very interesting land you live on, could you show us some pictures of the shale?
Josephine.

If it is not raining, I will try to get out tomorrow the 15th and take some of ours. or maybe some on down the road. He might not like it much if I go right up to his "dig" and start taking pictures!!! LOL!!
Deb

That is so sad!! A couple of years ago I noticed a seller on eBay who was getting permission to go in and collect the native plants when construction was going to demolish an area like that. I can't offhand remember where she is, but it was one of the North Eastern states, CT, NH or ME.

Karen

Wasn't me!! I have never sold native plants on there...just trade for other plants I can use. I did sell a saddle on there the other day!! LOL!!!Deb

She wasn't in VA anyway. LOL.

Actually, she wasn't charging very much. Her prices were very reasonable considering the work of digging them up and caring for them until they were sold. I didn't get any because I figured my inexpert gardening and the climate here would do them in for sure.

Karen

I know how you feel. They are building houses on top of the hill that is across the road from our place. I'm torn about whether to go up there some time and look. I got some native endemic milkweeds out of there a couple years back, but I'm sure there was more since the last time I was there. I'm afraid I couldn't take it, looking around up there. BUT....I feel like i should go. Go figure, the housing market has been going downhill. And yet, they're up there building houses, way out here where people have to drive so far to work. Somebody must think that a magic wand will be waved and the economy will somehow be booming again soon.

Well, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. They build the new rich homes for those that can afford them and I guess the ones they move out of are left standing. Even though a lot of the houses have not been purchased, they just keep builbing. A couple of years ago they started a huge new apartment/townhouse complex and it fills up faster than they can build!!!
If I were you, I would go "shopping" on that hill!!!! LOL!!!
Debbie

Linda,

Go for it! No point in leaving them to be plowed under if there is something you can save/keep.

Karen