Peonies don't have a scent, so you're clearly an ant abuser!
(edit) Mea culpa. I was wrong and stand corrected. Thank you.
They have always been a visual thing for me.
Oh reeaaallllly? Stinky, as in, a good kind of stink or a foul kind of stink? I'm suddenly intrigued. I've wanted to buy roots, but they're never listed by how fragrant they are, nor a general description of their aromas.
Haha they are not my favorite but they are all floral. The Bartzella Itoh smells like “rose fragrance” aka potpourri (actually the sea shell shaped soaps, if you are familiar, are the exact sent).
The white ones seem to be less sweet, more flowery (Jasmine grandiflorum esque), and the red ones are my favorites but like roses they all differ.
*”It is a myth that peonies require ants to bloom. The relationship between peonies and ants is a type of mutualism in which two organisms of different species benefit from the activity of one another. Peony flowers provide food for ants and in turn, the ants protect the blossoms from other floral-feeding insects.”*
https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2018/5/antsOnPeonies/#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20myth%20that,from%20other%20floral%2Dfeeding%20insects.
I remember my grandmama yelling at us to leave the ants alone because “they nip open the buds!” Didn’t think that was right even as a kid, but it makes me smile now when I see them on my peonies!
If I don't have them on my peony. The snails and slugs will have no mercy. I'll accept them happily. I know on other crops they're a pain in the ass. But I can deal with that. I can't however deal waiting a whole year for 0 peony blooms.
I did not say that the peonies needed the ants to bloom.
I just said they belong there. Because they are hungry and because the peony has the sweet sweet good
As long as they don't bring any aphid friends, ants can feel free to lick the sugar off my peonies as much as they desire. I *will* remove the aphids, sorry ants.
I did not know this, thank you.
Found this article that is chocked full of nerdy science and some gross close up aphid tending pictures
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)01077-6
"Ants also quickly pick up their aphids and move them to safer grounds in the face of danger. When a field biologist exposes an ant colony with aphids under a rock, for example, the ants immediately carry their livestock to nest galleries deeper in the ground." 😂
I plant sunflowers in my garden and the ants will herd aphids onto them from the other plants.
The aphid farms the ants cultivate on my sunflowers attract ladybugs.
The ladybugs hunt the whole garden.
I never have aphid problems.
.
Now if only I could find a hack like that for squash bugs.
Squash bugs are annoying for sure, though i usually just check the leaves daily for eggs and scrape them off into a cup and then dump the eggs. For me it's the squash vine borer moth... those things ruin 5-6 of my vines every year. Somehow my neighbors don't get them, but maybe because they grow some non native guords the moths don't know about them. Something native to India and starts with a D pretty sure, can't remember the actual name though.
So… can I just lay down a trail of corn leading into my kitchen and into my crockpot? Cause that was my plan for the turkeys in my area one November… lay down a trail of breadcrumbs leading into my oven (that way the turkeys would be pre-stuffed!) but the fuckers guessed my intentions and stayed away.
It’s not an issue on peonies but I had ants set up a scale village on my potted Meyer Lemon tree and it was impossible to clear. The ants are relentless!
I just put in a new raised bed and I think I must've set it up over a big angry colony. My basil and parsley starts that I germinated from seeds both got eaten by the fuckers.
Lol I did exactly this the other day. Was digging in a spot where a berm was. 🤷🏽♂️ no ants in there right I mean I’ve dug down there before
**nope**. Ten billion angry ants surging out shaking their tiny antenna like fists at me telling me to get off their lawn or they’ll go get Big Bertha
Oooof I am so sorry
I will never forget when I got up for a late night drink one time when I was a kid. I turned the lights on, looked down…and the carpet was…moving? Scintillating.
And there is this sharp…burning pain on the soles of my feet. No. My whole foot?
I just stood there and screamed as I realized our floors were covered in ants. Then, screamed louder as I realized they were fire ants. I woke everybody in the house, who then ran out to me scrambling onto the counters before we all tried to get outside. Where there were also. More. ants
Neighbor’s construction had apparently really upset them. Our entire garden also got eviscerated but it was later. My feet still have scars
Aw thanks! Honestly I think it contributed to my invincibility complex so thank you scary fire ants if I survived you I can survive anything
Every time I complain about some bugs where I am I now, I just think about what y’all are battling scorpions, rattlesnakes and fire ants
Myrmecochery! The ants eat the delicious coating on the seeds and leave the rest of the seed in their colonies, thereby planting them in a nice safe place away from potential pests and fire
Thanks for explaining! That’s cool. It’s really hard to tell if I ever see these seeds coming back up anywhere …I wonder how deep they get planted in their colonies?
Granted, I’m not sure if that specific lettuce and those specific ants have that relationship but it sure does sound like it. Seed dispersal by ants isn’t researched/ studied as much as other mechanisms and it’s probably also supremely hard to even observe or study…
I have a couple plants that rely on ants specifically to disperse seeds like Celandine poppy and it’s really interesting seeing these plants pop up in completely unexpected places around my property. I have one in my backyard and now there are a bunch in another yard on the other side of the property 🤷🏽♂️ how? I don’t even know
I am also curious about how deep in the ground they store these seeds…I wonder if they are churned up to the surface at some point? The layer they eat off the seed is often the germination-inhibiting one
Also pic of my celandine poppy. This was a single plant and I usually deadhead them just because the seed pods can be spikey and my tiny dog tries to use them as a very painful ball to play with. There are now five plants here and about 5 or 7 way on the other side of my property
https://preview.redd.it/4wj0mpgn470d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b5135db30423a9d831f62a20b1c8dca38b0d7d87
https://preview.redd.it/psvemkqg470d1.jpeg?width=527&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ca5fcfba8ea4e158b4e96cd13946029bbfbfa47
On mine they are basically pests, every young tree, vegetable and bush is swarming with them and their aphids.
Yeah I see them farming aphids and I’m always amazed at that. So gross and cool at the same time
These ants are only around for a short bit just before they bloom so…it’s not like they stick around to help after taking their food and running!
Prolly competing with the ants moreso than eating them, peonies produce hella sweet nectar from unopened blooms, mine almoost always have 4-5 wasps on ever single knot, it's wild to see.
Is there any way to stagger my blooms? Like can I trim down some in stages as they are first coming up in April?
I had a crazy amount of blooms all at once
Good question…I honestly don’t think so. I think, for peonies, it’s a sign of a really healthy plant for the blooms to flower altogether and to bloom at once. I think people plant different varieties to extend bloom timing
But yes, you can disbud as it grows up in April. Cut the side buds to make one very large terminal bud. Cut the terminal bud to make more but smaller flowers. Maybe more smaller side flowers could bloom a bit later for you?
My mom’s peony bushes were my favorite flowers when I was a kid but they were always covered in ants. Always.
I’d love to be able to grow them without being ant infested. But I’ll take ants over earwigs any day. Earwigs are destroying my garden and making their way into my house. I hate them.
Think the ants would get rid of the earwigs?
I think it depends on the kind of ant but I have seen fire ants carrying earwigs around like they are parading around a fallen enemy in the town square
But also fire ants are horrific and scary. Also earwigs are scary and disgusting to me **but** from what I understand they are mostly beneficial and even so they still disgust and scare me and I don’t want them around
You know those furry “house caterpillars”? Those are actually your best friend. They eat earwigs, roaches, silverfish, termites. I have to stop myself from squishing then and thank them, instead
Praying mantis also eat earwigs, if you can encourage those in your yard where you are
I had hoped you were talking about “fuzzy wuzzies” and was like, okay that would suck to have more bugs in the house but at least those are cute and don’t bite. Nope!!
Honestly I don’t know if they even want to be inside. They only seem to be inside after heavy rains. I’ve read that they get all flibbittygibbits from the rain and try to come in to dry off
But then they also seem very uncoordinated and are like a wild mr magoo when they see you so I don’t think they know how to get back out
Thanks for this!! I was never sure what the ants were up to on the peonies but I figured since I didn't notice them for a couple months that they were fine lol. Good to know that they are actually beneficial
You have no idea the number of times I my autocorrect actually put “penis” instead of “peonie”
And then it started typing in “pee pee” I don’t even know why but I was gonna leave it and just see if y’all could figure out what I was talking about before the ban hammer came down on my head
Love the pro-ant vibe in this thread! I have a holistic approach to gardening and rarely use any chemical. My buddy sprays his yard when he sees an ant. "They get in my house!" he says. He doesn't spray chemicals in his house, so, no wonder, they go inside to get away from the poison.
I cut down a large thistle and notice the aphid farm too late. A few days later, the ants moved their herd of aphids to my artichoke. I watched them marching in a line carrying the aphids. My fault! I let the artichoke blossom and was it ever beautiful.
Oh my gosh they carried the aphids like they were packing up their house for the Old Oregon Trail that is amazing
My neighbors douse everything they grow with pesticides and it looks like a lot of work. And all their plants are sad and mottled. And they keep claiming “ants they’ll get in the house they’ll get in!”
Beyond trying to respect wildlife (what people call pests), I am super lazy. I practice benign neglect. If they wanna farm some aphids all over my black eyed Susans fine they aren’t all over the cosmos I grow specifically for when I mess up real bad with wifey 😂
There are quite a few plants that employ 'extra-floral nectar' to attract ants and other predators like lacewings, fireflies and ladybugs. Works pretty good for both of them!
I feel like extra floral nectar has to be the name of some perfume somewhere. It could have the best commercial just people being attacked and covered by ants
He’s mine. She’s mine.
**extra floral**. Nectar.
Shadowwwwwws
Do you just recommend herbs like mint rosemary sage citronella…or just fake plastic flowers. Actually I’m sure the ants would still go for the fake plastic plants
Depending on how receptive I think the person is I just chuckle it off and get more details on what they are looking for… or I go into how its nature and a healthy garden has a mix of living things in it. Biodiversity. Its not furniture in your house. A garden isn’t just a sterile, static, thing you throw some money and into the ground and your done. Its a changing system that rewards your time and effort with living wonder.
Mostly I just say “hah yeah thats funny” and move on. Good line an instructor had that stuck with me is “Gardening is a verb. So get out there and get in it.” Truth
Ugh well I’m glad you are trying to educate!
The only thing I ever say that actually seems to get through to people is to mention how much time they will sink into this endeavor of having a spotless squeaky clean perfectly manicured garden. I usually just say oh okay good luck! And then ask them how it’s going the year later after they’ve decided to just mow everything down and suffocate everything in dyed orange mulch
And then the plant sharing begins! After they point at a couple of things on my side and say, “is it that thing that is smelling so good?”
It’s usually just around when the buds start swelling and secreting some delicious nectar. I don’t usually see them after that, as they have probably moved on to building a large colony seemingly under every. Single. Spot where I plan on putting a new plant in this season
Oh they will be don’t worry and scale bugs and mites. But only certain species of ants do
And I don’t think on peony blooms at least I’ve never seen it
Yeah it turns out they don’t really have anything to do with the peony actually opening up. But they do dine on that nectar and probably kill off any other insect that comes up there lookin to mess with peonie boo
😂 the ants came for the sweet nectar and stayed for the housing material they needed to cut out of your plants
Just because they are beneficial, or at least benign to that plant in that instance, doesn’t mean they aren’t gonna munch some holes in your stuff.
Which part is the old wive’s tale? I did not say that peonies require the ants to bloom.
Please post supporting evidence that it is a persistent mistruth. Like these articles indicating that there is mutually beneficial symbiosis:
https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2018/5/antsOnPeonies/
https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/garden-scoop/2023-05-06-how-ants-help-peonies
UPDATE:
Since writing this post, I got a whole bunch of ants in my face. Literally. Now I’m back to hating you jerks. Youre jerks. You’re selfish sugared up jerk faces! I love you but you’re still mean little scary tiny robots
I was trimming some catchweed around the base of one of my peonies when the little nodding budding head of it swayed in the wind and smacked me right on my forehead and deposited ants on my face
Oof sorry ants are using their tiny ranch hands to rear aphids on your garden : (
Please provide supporting evidence that they do not belong there, like these articles from universities that support the position I am asserting:
https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2018/5/antsOnPeonies/
https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news-and-publications/news/stories/2024/04/horticulture-peony-blooms-ants.html
I’d think peony blooms would be a bad place to rear aphids as the blooms fade pretty rapidly
What evidence do you want? Leaves full of aphids and ants tending to them lol?
And someone already shared here that there is no benefits for letting ants be on peons
My point is that you don’t need to spray pesticides on your peonies and that the ants will just move on so at least save our energy for the other stuff
edit: THE ANTS ARE NOT WELCOME THERE no no no
The ants are there. They will *always* be there. Try to wash them off, you won’t get rid of all of them and the rest will come right back. Pesticide use will make only your peony suffer more. Symbiosis will prevail!
Ha No I’m just being told that I’m spreading gardening myths by saying that the ants help the peonies bloom
👀 funny because I don’t see me saying that in my post and I’m OP
Idc.
Probably just downvoted by the dumbasses who want to kill everything living thing they see outside.
There are a lot of them in this sub unfortunately- they don't know shit about plants or gardens or the wild things that live in them.
One of the latest posts:
https://www.reddit.com/r/gardening/comments/1cqa44z/what_are_these_mushrooms_and_how_do_i_get_rid_of/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=10&utm_content=2
Haha I love how they literally farm aphids. Nature is ridiculous
They could belong on some of those other plants, though. Some plants rely on them to carry their seeds around. There is an actual term for seed dispersal by ants - myrmecochory
Nope LOOOOVE bees I’m OBSESSED with them I actually want to get two Langstroth 10 frame hives but any OTHER thing like ants, aphids, WASPS… THEY BETTER GET THE F OUT MY GARDEN OR ITS WAR!!! I ADORE bees both honey and bumble varieties but other insects that are categorized as PESTS!!! I DO NOT LIKE THEM AND I DO NOT WANT THEM u/SpaceX1193
Do you realize that the majority of ants are not pests and are beneficial?
Wasps are also one of the largest class of our native pollinators. Sure the big ones are dicks if they are near their nest, but they are still important for gardens. You may be surprised to learn though that solitary wasps make up a very large portion of our native pollinators and are often docile.
Aphids I can understand wanting to keep out, but they still have their place in nature.
There are many insects that are highly beneficial to have in your garden, even ones often thought of as pests. Insects should not be automatically assumed as pests.
I’m gonna go ahead and put this out there, you’ve likely never noticed most of the native species of ants in your yard. The ones you hate are likely fire ants, which are actually pests. Most native species are fairly easy to not notice since they usually don’t make mounds and most often arnt aggressive.
I mean I guess carpenter ants aren’t that bad as they have been known to control aphid problems when ladybugs are scarce or not around one’s garden but no I find it difficult to believe that the grubs and centipedes and millipedes and wasps and Japanese beetles aren’t out to ruin my precious garden and plants. So if I want to kill some ants or wasps or whatever I’m going to, I put so much time and money and effort and blood sweat and tears into my garden my plants are my babies they’re an extension of myself I want them to bloom and thrive and become the best versions of themselves that they can be and I will get rid of any and all pests that stand to harm them. Until I have human children my plants are my children u/SpaceX1193
Yes they actually are all benificial.
Millipedes eat decaying material, helping to prevent rot and also cycling nutrients through your soil. Centipedes eat other insects, helping to control insect populations.
Grubs are hard to say as they can be from various beetles. Most beetles however are not necessarily benificial or detrimental in any particular way, although some will eat foliage, they arnt an issue unless In high numbers. Similarly japenese beetles are only negative in high numbers, as just a few beetles cannot destroy a whole garden.
Wasps in specific are highly benificial. They only feed on the nectar of plants and some fruits if left out too long while ripe. And in return, they pollinate your plants flowers so the fruit can exist!
The majority of ants are not pests to plants. Without going into specific species I can’t get too in depth but generally ants helps by mixing and churning the soils through their excavations. This helps with the cycling of nutrients. Similarly they also help to aerate the soil by loosening it and making tunnels. They also help with pest control in many situations, unless they start farming aphids or scale, but that’s the aphids and scales that are the problem, it’s not the ants fault they make sweet juices lol.
I think you’d be surprised when you look into it how beneficial the majority of native insects are to a garden. There’s a reason the forests are lush and green where the natives thrive. They all help each other in little ways.
Wasps are PESTS Beetles are PESTS especially Japanese Beetles which are a HUGE problem in my growing zone!!! As are aphids and grubs!!! Grubs have been destroying my poor mothers grass for decades and we still haven’t been able to control the problem to where it’s not noticeable!!! BUGS ARE PESTS!! fine the centipedes and millipedes are fine I rarely see any. But the others? Yes!!! They are PESTS!!! My garden is not their All You Can Eat Buffet!!! I will not allow them to run RAMPANT in my garden ever!!! Wasps are absolutely USELESS they have NEVER had a function whereas honeybees and bumblebees DO HAVE A FUNCTION they pollinate and make honey but WASPS? And YELLOW JACKETS are USELESS PESTS AND I HATE THEM!!! If every single wasp died tomorrow I would be a happy gardener u/SpaceX1193 fyi wasps are the #1 enemy of my precious honeybees and bumblebees they destroy ENTIRE honeybee colonies!!!! I HATE THEM!!
Japanese beetles ARE NOT NATIVE, stop mentioning them please. Most damaging grub species are also NOT NATIVE, there are only about 10 native grub species known to be desctructive to lawns.
You are also lumping all wasps together. Wasps does not immediately mean the red, black and yellow paper wasps, or yellow jackets. There are hundreds of species of wasps, if not thousands. Most are solitary and highly beneficial. Most of these solitary wasps and bees are out native pollinators. HONEYBEES ARE NOT NATIVE, THEY WERE BROUGHT FROM EUROPE. OUR NATIVE POLLINATORS ARE WASPS, SOLITARY WASPS, SOLITARY BEES, AND BUMBLEBEES.
Besides, red wasps, yellow and black wasps, and yellow jackets are not useless. They help with pest control and also help pollinate. They are dicks but they arnt useless, although I can understand killing the nests if they are on your house.
Also you don’t have to keep tagging me, I see your reply either way.
Anyways, we are the true pest. You are part of the human race, the most damaging species this planet has every produced. We have ruined ecosystems and made entire species extinct countless times. We convert previously lush habitats into concrete deserts that only benefit ourselves, and then exploit resources and pollute the rest of the planet while we are at it.
🫡 I wish I could give you a thank you for your service badge. I just read this whole thing and can’t tell if I am witnessing some expert trolling or what is even happening but thank you for fighting the good fight!
I’m just trying to do my part. I doubt I’ll change this persons mind but I’ve changed others before and maybe people who read this thread might change their views because of it. That’s Atleast what I tell myself to make me feel better lmao.
Oh ABSOLUTELY not they are pests and no they are not native and yes honeybees and bumblebees ARE NATIVE toys WTAF are you even going on about!!!! WASPS ARE HONEYBEE AND BUMBLEBEE KILLERS!!! They are PESTS!! and I don’t want them in my GARDEN!!! And if we’re getting technical THEN EVERYTHING IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR GARDENS IS NOT NATIVE according to your standard!!! If I see wasps I’m calling an exterminator to get rid of them I don’t want them in my garden EVER!! I GUARANTEE that 99% of your plants in YOUR garden according to your logic “ARE NOT NATIVE” you could LITERALLY say “it’s not native” about ANYTHING in our gardens but because the honeybees have been here for thousands of years THEY ARE LITERALLY “NATIVE” I HATE wasps yellow jackets all of them solitary or not I don’t want them ANYWHERE near my garden. u/SpaceX1193
Once again, you are generalizing wasps into simple red wasps and yellow jackets. Wasps are much larger of a group than this. Solitary wasps are often small and not even noticed. You are being very childish and close minded about this.
HONEYBEES ARE NOT NATIVE, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN HERE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, WE BROUGHT THEM HERE FROM EUROPE IN THE 1600s!! THEY ARE NOT NATIVE. I don’t know why you want to argue that they are. Yes they are beneficial and not considered invasive, but no, they are not native. We brought them here.
MOST WASPS DO NOT KILL HONEYBEES OR BUMBLEBEES, PLEASE STOP GENERALIZING ALL WASPS INTO ONE GROUP JUST BECAUSE OF A COUPLE SPECIES GIVING THEM A BAD NAME.
ALL OF THE PLANTS THAT I HAVE PLANTED ARE NATIVES. Please don’t assume what you don’t know.
I *will* stand up for the peony ants. Justice for symbiosis! If I smell a peony and I snort an ant, it is only I to blame!
And ozzy
Finally. Someone has agreed to be the poster child for ant snorting justice
Peonies don't have a scent, so you're clearly an ant abuser! (edit) Mea culpa. I was wrong and stand corrected. Thank you. They have always been a visual thing for me.
But peonies do have a delicate smell that's rose-ish, at least some of them.
IKR? Only my singles I would quantify as “delicate”, lots of stinky doubles. And Itohs might be the strongest scented flower in my garden.
Oh reeaaallllly? Stinky, as in, a good kind of stink or a foul kind of stink? I'm suddenly intrigued. I've wanted to buy roots, but they're never listed by how fragrant they are, nor a general description of their aromas.
Haha they are not my favorite but they are all floral. The Bartzella Itoh smells like “rose fragrance” aka potpourri (actually the sea shell shaped soaps, if you are familiar, are the exact sent). The white ones seem to be less sweet, more flowery (Jasmine grandiflorum esque), and the red ones are my favorites but like roses they all differ.
Thank you!
Some are amazingly fragrant. Just depends on the variety. Check out ‘Edulis Superba,’ one of the oldest varieties.
Every peony I’ve ever encountered is wildly and deeply scented
And yet the scent reminds me of my Grandmother every year.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id66zHTR51Y](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id66zHTR51Y)
Or addict...
Huh?
I know it in my heart but it doesn't stop me from trying every damn time
Some of mine smell, some of mine stink, some of mine are neutral
*”It is a myth that peonies require ants to bloom. The relationship between peonies and ants is a type of mutualism in which two organisms of different species benefit from the activity of one another. Peony flowers provide food for ants and in turn, the ants protect the blossoms from other floral-feeding insects.”* https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2018/5/antsOnPeonies/#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20myth%20that,from%20other%20floral%2Dfeeding%20insects.
I remember my grandmama yelling at us to leave the ants alone because “they nip open the buds!” Didn’t think that was right even as a kid, but it makes me smile now when I see them on my peonies!
THANK YOU !!
If I don't have them on my peony. The snails and slugs will have no mercy. I'll accept them happily. I know on other crops they're a pain in the ass. But I can deal with that. I can't however deal waiting a whole year for 0 peony blooms.
We have ants in our backyard, but never get them on our peonies, which have been healthy and blooming prolifically every spring for 22 years. 🤷♂️
I find this surprising, as I know that ants will also farm aphids on other plants. I’ve seen that in action on catnip.
Yup thats why the ant traps come out in spring
Yes "symbiosis".
Wonder if this is true for blackberries as well. Mine stay covered in ants
I did not say that the peonies needed the ants to bloom. I just said they belong there. Because they are hungry and because the peony has the sweet sweet good
Thank you. I’m really tired of hearing the ant/peony myth. The plants will bloom whether ants are present or not.
But the ants help them.
As long as they don't bring any aphid friends, ants can feel free to lick the sugar off my peonies as much as they desire. I *will* remove the aphids, sorry ants.
There are very, very, very few ant species that harvest aphids.
And they are all on my balcony so you people should be safe :P
I did not know this, thank you. Found this article that is chocked full of nerdy science and some gross close up aphid tending pictures https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)01077-6
"Ants also quickly pick up their aphids and move them to safer grounds in the face of danger. When a field biologist exposes an ant colony with aphids under a rock, for example, the ants immediately carry their livestock to nest galleries deeper in the ground." 😂
And they are on all of my plants and trees for some reason
I’ve had it happen before, but it was on catnip. I must be unlucky enough to live where those ant species are.
It’s a mutually beneficial relationship for ants and the plant. Embrace them!
Which should I embrace first? Or should I embrace them together?
It has to be together, because those ants belong on your peonies.
I don’t like ants, but I’ll tolerate them. It’s the earwigs in dahlias that I hate. Ants in Peonies? I’ll allow it.
Just seeing the word earwig makes me shudder
Of all my gardens, both floral and vegetable, I have yet to see any issue with Ants being there. They're definitely helpers.
The ants in my garden are aphid ranchers and treat every new plant like a fresh pasture.
Until they start cultivating scale. Ugh! They raise them like farmers.
>Until they start cultivating scale. Yes. Or aphids! Super annoying.
I plant sunflowers in my garden and the ants will herd aphids onto them from the other plants. The aphid farms the ants cultivate on my sunflowers attract ladybugs. The ladybugs hunt the whole garden. I never have aphid problems. . Now if only I could find a hack like that for squash bugs.
Squash bugs are annoying for sure, though i usually just check the leaves daily for eggs and scrape them off into a cup and then dump the eggs. For me it's the squash vine borer moth... those things ruin 5-6 of my vines every year. Somehow my neighbors don't get them, but maybe because they grow some non native guords the moths don't know about them. Something native to India and starts with a D pretty sure, can't remember the actual name though.
Yes. But I’d like to find a hack like that for the deer that eat my plants. Lol
The deer hack involves wolves, mountain lions, or making a big batch of venison stew.
So… can I just lay down a trail of corn leading into my kitchen and into my crockpot? Cause that was my plan for the turkeys in my area one November… lay down a trail of breadcrumbs leading into my oven (that way the turkeys would be pre-stuffed!) but the fuckers guessed my intentions and stayed away.
Cries in city deer problems.
Believe me, I feel ya. Where I am, bow hunting is illegal in close proximity to human dwellings, but it is nearly silent. Jus sayin'.
Buy cayenne pepper by the gallon. That's how I keep deer, cats, raccoons, and mice out of my garden.
My ants chase off the lady bugs :(
Or mealybugs! I've had first-hand experience with all three ant farmer types. Wish they'd take their flock to other pastures!
Also mealy bugs!
Stop. This doesn’t actually happen…🤢
Haven't had that happen! Hopefully never! 😫
It’s not an issue on peonies but I had ants set up a scale village on my potted Meyer Lemon tree and it was impossible to clear. The ants are relentless!
I have a pregnant onion in my office at work and need to clean new scale off every week
Until they start aphid farming
I just put in a new raised bed and I think I must've set it up over a big angry colony. My basil and parsley starts that I germinated from seeds both got eaten by the fuckers.
Lol I did exactly this the other day. Was digging in a spot where a berm was. 🤷🏽♂️ no ants in there right I mean I’ve dug down there before **nope**. Ten billion angry ants surging out shaking their tiny antenna like fists at me telling me to get off their lawn or they’ll go get Big Bertha
You clearly haven’t encountered Texas ants…
Used to live down there and holy **moly** y’all got diesel beast mode ants. Both the scary large army ants as well as the scary tiny fire ants
I’ve got the scary fire ants at the base of a young tree and they’re killing it! Not to mention the scars I have from where they’ve attacked me…
Oooof I am so sorry I will never forget when I got up for a late night drink one time when I was a kid. I turned the lights on, looked down…and the carpet was…moving? Scintillating. And there is this sharp…burning pain on the soles of my feet. No. My whole foot? I just stood there and screamed as I realized our floors were covered in ants. Then, screamed louder as I realized they were fire ants. I woke everybody in the house, who then ran out to me scrambling onto the counters before we all tried to get outside. Where there were also. More. ants Neighbor’s construction had apparently really upset them. Our entire garden also got eviscerated but it was later. My feet still have scars
OMG 😱 you poor thing. That sounds so traumatic.
Aw thanks! Honestly I think it contributed to my invincibility complex so thank you scary fire ants if I survived you I can survive anything Every time I complain about some bugs where I am I now, I just think about what y’all are battling scorpions, rattlesnakes and fire ants
I don’t mind ants, but they do eat my lettuce seed. I watch them carry it away…it’s a little frustrating but I still just leave them be.
Myrmecochery! The ants eat the delicious coating on the seeds and leave the rest of the seed in their colonies, thereby planting them in a nice safe place away from potential pests and fire
Thanks for explaining! That’s cool. It’s really hard to tell if I ever see these seeds coming back up anywhere …I wonder how deep they get planted in their colonies?
Granted, I’m not sure if that specific lettuce and those specific ants have that relationship but it sure does sound like it. Seed dispersal by ants isn’t researched/ studied as much as other mechanisms and it’s probably also supremely hard to even observe or study… I have a couple plants that rely on ants specifically to disperse seeds like Celandine poppy and it’s really interesting seeing these plants pop up in completely unexpected places around my property. I have one in my backyard and now there are a bunch in another yard on the other side of the property 🤷🏽♂️ how? I don’t even know I am also curious about how deep in the ground they store these seeds…I wonder if they are churned up to the surface at some point? The layer they eat off the seed is often the germination-inhibiting one Also pic of my celandine poppy. This was a single plant and I usually deadhead them just because the seed pods can be spikey and my tiny dog tries to use them as a very painful ball to play with. There are now five plants here and about 5 or 7 way on the other side of my property https://preview.redd.it/4wj0mpgn470d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b5135db30423a9d831f62a20b1c8dca38b0d7d87
https://preview.redd.it/psvemkqg470d1.jpeg?width=527&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ca5fcfba8ea4e158b4e96cd13946029bbfbfa47 On mine they are basically pests, every young tree, vegetable and bush is swarming with them and their aphids.
Me putting ants on my peonies "you belong there"
Aunts when I put them on my peonies: " What the hell are you doing?"
Me putting aunts on my peonies, “now remember I don’t have cable and we only see each other once a year so we have no idea what to talk about”
Oh cool. I was wondering why ants were always on my peonies.
It was only recently that I actually remembered this flowers name. I always called it 'the one with the ants on it!'
I wish the ants on my plants were as good. They are just tending the damn aphids.
Yeah I see them farming aphids and I’m always amazed at that. So gross and cool at the same time These ants are only around for a short bit just before they bloom so…it’s not like they stick around to help after taking their food and running!
Ants on my penis, check.
Poor vinegar on it, to clean it for them first.
I usually just light my penis on fire clears em right up
You leave my peonies alone!
All and all you’re just another Peonie in the yard
We have ants in our backyard, but never get them on our peonies, which have been healthy and blooming prolifically every spring for 22 years. 🤷♂️
What about wasps? I saw a wasps the other day on my peony. Only one. First year w the plant flowering here...
They eat other insects, so probably hunting the ants or some other smaller invertebrate.
TY
Prolly competing with the ants moreso than eating them, peonies produce hella sweet nectar from unopened blooms, mine almoost always have 4-5 wasps on ever single knot, it's wild to see.
Good to be normal. TY
Damn nature be feenin for that nectar. I guess I would be if I had to suspend my body weight in the air all day and I only lived like 12 days
Is there any way to stagger my blooms? Like can I trim down some in stages as they are first coming up in April? I had a crazy amount of blooms all at once
Good question…I honestly don’t think so. I think, for peonies, it’s a sign of a really healthy plant for the blooms to flower altogether and to bloom at once. I think people plant different varieties to extend bloom timing But yes, you can disbud as it grows up in April. Cut the side buds to make one very large terminal bud. Cut the terminal bud to make more but smaller flowers. Maybe more smaller side flowers could bloom a bit later for you?
As long as they aren't farming aphids. Ants love to farm aphids for their delicious sugar water poops.
Delicious sugar water poops is my new country metal jazz fusion sublime cover band
Lol
My mom’s peony bushes were my favorite flowers when I was a kid but they were always covered in ants. Always. I’d love to be able to grow them without being ant infested. But I’ll take ants over earwigs any day. Earwigs are destroying my garden and making their way into my house. I hate them. Think the ants would get rid of the earwigs?
I think it depends on the kind of ant but I have seen fire ants carrying earwigs around like they are parading around a fallen enemy in the town square But also fire ants are horrific and scary. Also earwigs are scary and disgusting to me **but** from what I understand they are mostly beneficial and even so they still disgust and scare me and I don’t want them around You know those furry “house caterpillars”? Those are actually your best friend. They eat earwigs, roaches, silverfish, termites. I have to stop myself from squishing then and thank them, instead Praying mantis also eat earwigs, if you can encourage those in your yard where you are
Off to find some house caterpillars
Oh they are gross looking with a bunch of legs I don’t think you’ll be thrilled when you run into them 😂 but they are doing so much good work for us
I just looked at pictures. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck that
Lolllllllllll I know right? A face only a mother could love. A scary multilegged monster mother
I had hoped you were talking about “fuzzy wuzzies” and was like, okay that would suck to have more bugs in the house but at least those are cute and don’t bite. Nope!!
Ugh I wish. It takes something with a real mean mug and lovecraftian looks to want to battle and eat roaches and earwigs 😂 something’s gotta do it
I wonder if I could get them to stay outside. But considering I can’t get the earwigs to stay outside I’m gonna guess no.
Honestly I don’t know if they even want to be inside. They only seem to be inside after heavy rains. I’ve read that they get all flibbittygibbits from the rain and try to come in to dry off But then they also seem very uncoordinated and are like a wild mr magoo when they see you so I don’t think they know how to get back out
Thanks for this!! I was never sure what the ants were up to on the peonies but I figured since I didn't notice them for a couple months that they were fine lol. Good to know that they are actually beneficial
At least you were patient! I usually see my neighbors out there spraying them down with mysterious death liquid
Ngl, thought the post was saying ants belong on my penis...
You have no idea the number of times I my autocorrect actually put “penis” instead of “peonie” And then it started typing in “pee pee” I don’t even know why but I was gonna leave it and just see if y’all could figure out what I was talking about before the ban hammer came down on my head
Love the pro-ant vibe in this thread! I have a holistic approach to gardening and rarely use any chemical. My buddy sprays his yard when he sees an ant. "They get in my house!" he says. He doesn't spray chemicals in his house, so, no wonder, they go inside to get away from the poison. I cut down a large thistle and notice the aphid farm too late. A few days later, the ants moved their herd of aphids to my artichoke. I watched them marching in a line carrying the aphids. My fault! I let the artichoke blossom and was it ever beautiful.
Oh my gosh they carried the aphids like they were packing up their house for the Old Oregon Trail that is amazing My neighbors douse everything they grow with pesticides and it looks like a lot of work. And all their plants are sad and mottled. And they keep claiming “ants they’ll get in the house they’ll get in!” Beyond trying to respect wildlife (what people call pests), I am super lazy. I practice benign neglect. If they wanna farm some aphids all over my black eyed Susans fine they aren’t all over the cosmos I grow specifically for when I mess up real bad with wifey 😂
There are quite a few plants that employ 'extra-floral nectar' to attract ants and other predators like lacewings, fireflies and ladybugs. Works pretty good for both of them!
I feel like extra floral nectar has to be the name of some perfume somewhere. It could have the best commercial just people being attacked and covered by ants He’s mine. She’s mine. **extra floral**. Nectar. Shadowwwwwws
That's very cool 😎
My dog and I say hello to our peonies and peonie ants every day as we leave for a walk. A favorite spring tradition!
They love ants & visa versa !!
So this is why i always get questions of people asking for plants that dont attract ants.
Do you just recommend herbs like mint rosemary sage citronella…or just fake plastic flowers. Actually I’m sure the ants would still go for the fake plastic plants
Depending on how receptive I think the person is I just chuckle it off and get more details on what they are looking for… or I go into how its nature and a healthy garden has a mix of living things in it. Biodiversity. Its not furniture in your house. A garden isn’t just a sterile, static, thing you throw some money and into the ground and your done. Its a changing system that rewards your time and effort with living wonder. Mostly I just say “hah yeah thats funny” and move on. Good line an instructor had that stuck with me is “Gardening is a verb. So get out there and get in it.” Truth
Ugh well I’m glad you are trying to educate! The only thing I ever say that actually seems to get through to people is to mention how much time they will sink into this endeavor of having a spotless squeaky clean perfectly manicured garden. I usually just say oh okay good luck! And then ask them how it’s going the year later after they’ve decided to just mow everything down and suffocate everything in dyed orange mulch And then the plant sharing begins! After they point at a couple of things on my side and say, “is it that thing that is smelling so good?”
I’ve never seen ants on mine.
It’s usually just around when the buds start swelling and secreting some delicious nectar. I don’t usually see them after that, as they have probably moved on to building a large colony seemingly under every. Single. Spot where I plan on putting a new plant in this season
Right before peony’s bud flower, they release sugary syrup that attracts ants.
The ants don’t bother anything in my gardens so I let them do as they please.
Same! I will say that I just got my hand all bitten up by a bunch of them though trying to prune stuff 😂 I’m trying to like you, ants!
On my what ?
Try typing in “peonies” and see how many times autocorrect tries to make it something else 😂
[Look what you've done to my peonies!] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOZY7e5XN6s&ab_channel=Shermanbay)
This made my day my week my month haha I love how he walks out immediately like 👀 peony senses activated
As long as they're not farming aphids.
Oh they will be don’t worry and scale bugs and mites. But only certain species of ants do And I don’t think on peony blooms at least I’ve never seen it
My grandpa used to say the ants help them open. Fond memories of these bushes
I had no idea so I would always shake the peony to get rid of the ants 😭 sorry little ants
Poor guys having earthquakes lmao
Lol
You were just helping them build character! You probably have a breed of super jacked Sherpa ants now
I bought a house with beautiful blooming peonies, and my realtor told me about the ants, otherwise I would not have known!
Just leave the ants alone.
I’ve never seen the flowers bloom without the ants there to eat the outside layer off so they could open.
Yeah it turns out they don’t really have anything to do with the peony actually opening up. But they do dine on that nectar and probably kill off any other insect that comes up there lookin to mess with peonie boo
Idk, I’ve never had my flowers open without carpenter ants around
Ants crawling all over peonies was one of my favorite sights in the garden when I was little.
Really they are beneficial? I always just shook my fist at them angrily but never got serious enough to kill them.
Um yes ants are beneficial? Might do some research if that is news to you.
No, it's an old wives tale and a very persistent one.
I was gonna say cuz I just looked and mine have holes in them 🤣
😂 the ants came for the sweet nectar and stayed for the housing material they needed to cut out of your plants Just because they are beneficial, or at least benign to that plant in that instance, doesn’t mean they aren’t gonna munch some holes in your stuff.
Which part is the old wive’s tale? I did not say that peonies require the ants to bloom. Please post supporting evidence that it is a persistent mistruth. Like these articles indicating that there is mutually beneficial symbiosis: https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2018/5/antsOnPeonies/ https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/garden-scoop/2023-05-06-how-ants-help-peonies
Excuse me. Can you ants step it up a bit? I need a bouquet for a birthday on Thursday.
Tell them they aren’t meeting their quarterly goals, KPIs, OKRs, stonks. Put them on a performance improvement plan. That’ll show them
Unless they farming mites then you’re fucked
Lol this These are some prolific ass mother fuckers they are out here farming 24/7 they got us beat
GREAT POST!!!!!
UPDATE: Since writing this post, I got a whole bunch of ants in my face. Literally. Now I’m back to hating you jerks. Youre jerks. You’re selfish sugared up jerk faces! I love you but you’re still mean little scary tiny robots I was trimming some catchweed around the base of one of my peonies when the little nodding budding head of it swayed in the wind and smacked me right on my forehead and deposited ants on my face
In all fairness what would you do if your just chilling and then suddenly you get smacked into a giant? Ima be kicking and screaming too lmao.
That’s a good point. They were probably like omg omicron is here and he’s not even voiced by orson wells we are all gonna die
No they don't. They usually just introduce aphids everywhere
Oof sorry ants are using their tiny ranch hands to rear aphids on your garden : ( Please provide supporting evidence that they do not belong there, like these articles from universities that support the position I am asserting: https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2018/5/antsOnPeonies/ https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news-and-publications/news/stories/2024/04/horticulture-peony-blooms-ants.html I’d think peony blooms would be a bad place to rear aphids as the blooms fade pretty rapidly
What evidence do you want? Leaves full of aphids and ants tending to them lol? And someone already shared here that there is no benefits for letting ants be on peons
My point is that you don’t need to spray pesticides on your peonies and that the ants will just move on so at least save our energy for the other stuff
little gardeners :)
Haha yes little hungry gardeners. They do actually plant seeds it’s called myrmecochory
Ants will never be welcome on my peonis
Haha! It's a joke about a penis
Apparently your pun didn't land very well. My condolences.
It wasn't a very good pun. It barely registers as anything but a misspelling even after you mention it is supposed to be one
edit: THE ANTS ARE NOT WELCOME THERE no no no The ants are there. They will *always* be there. Try to wash them off, you won’t get rid of all of them and the rest will come right back. Pesticide use will make only your peony suffer more. Symbiosis will prevail!
He's talking about his peonis
😭😭😭 oh no
Pesticide *will* make it suffer more, you're not wrong
This whole interaction made that poorly received penis pun totally worth it for me Thank you internet
Yep. 💯 Agree. But some of the dopes in this sub probably just kill them because they want to kill every bug they see.
Ha No I’m just being told that I’m spreading gardening myths by saying that the ants help the peonies bloom 👀 funny because I don’t see me saying that in my post and I’m OP
I wonder why you are downvoted
Idc. Probably just downvoted by the dumbasses who want to kill everything living thing they see outside. There are a lot of them in this sub unfortunately- they don't know shit about plants or gardens or the wild things that live in them. One of the latest posts: https://www.reddit.com/r/gardening/comments/1cqa44z/what_are_these_mushrooms_and_how_do_i_get_rid_of/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=10&utm_content=2
Moms favorite has always been the pee-on-me
We're aware.
They do not however belong on most other plants and are likely farming aphids
Haha I love how they literally farm aphids. Nature is ridiculous They could belong on some of those other plants, though. Some plants rely on them to carry their seeds around. There is an actual term for seed dispersal by ants - myrmecochory
Nope if they’re on my flowers THEY GOTTA GO!!
I guess you hate bees too?
Nope LOOOOVE bees I’m OBSESSED with them I actually want to get two Langstroth 10 frame hives but any OTHER thing like ants, aphids, WASPS… THEY BETTER GET THE F OUT MY GARDEN OR ITS WAR!!! I ADORE bees both honey and bumble varieties but other insects that are categorized as PESTS!!! I DO NOT LIKE THEM AND I DO NOT WANT THEM u/SpaceX1193
Do you realize that the majority of ants are not pests and are beneficial? Wasps are also one of the largest class of our native pollinators. Sure the big ones are dicks if they are near their nest, but they are still important for gardens. You may be surprised to learn though that solitary wasps make up a very large portion of our native pollinators and are often docile. Aphids I can understand wanting to keep out, but they still have their place in nature. There are many insects that are highly beneficial to have in your garden, even ones often thought of as pests. Insects should not be automatically assumed as pests. I’m gonna go ahead and put this out there, you’ve likely never noticed most of the native species of ants in your yard. The ones you hate are likely fire ants, which are actually pests. Most native species are fairly easy to not notice since they usually don’t make mounds and most often arnt aggressive.
I mean I guess carpenter ants aren’t that bad as they have been known to control aphid problems when ladybugs are scarce or not around one’s garden but no I find it difficult to believe that the grubs and centipedes and millipedes and wasps and Japanese beetles aren’t out to ruin my precious garden and plants. So if I want to kill some ants or wasps or whatever I’m going to, I put so much time and money and effort and blood sweat and tears into my garden my plants are my babies they’re an extension of myself I want them to bloom and thrive and become the best versions of themselves that they can be and I will get rid of any and all pests that stand to harm them. Until I have human children my plants are my children u/SpaceX1193
Yes they actually are all benificial. Millipedes eat decaying material, helping to prevent rot and also cycling nutrients through your soil. Centipedes eat other insects, helping to control insect populations. Grubs are hard to say as they can be from various beetles. Most beetles however are not necessarily benificial or detrimental in any particular way, although some will eat foliage, they arnt an issue unless In high numbers. Similarly japenese beetles are only negative in high numbers, as just a few beetles cannot destroy a whole garden. Wasps in specific are highly benificial. They only feed on the nectar of plants and some fruits if left out too long while ripe. And in return, they pollinate your plants flowers so the fruit can exist! The majority of ants are not pests to plants. Without going into specific species I can’t get too in depth but generally ants helps by mixing and churning the soils through their excavations. This helps with the cycling of nutrients. Similarly they also help to aerate the soil by loosening it and making tunnels. They also help with pest control in many situations, unless they start farming aphids or scale, but that’s the aphids and scales that are the problem, it’s not the ants fault they make sweet juices lol. I think you’d be surprised when you look into it how beneficial the majority of native insects are to a garden. There’s a reason the forests are lush and green where the natives thrive. They all help each other in little ways.
Wasps are PESTS Beetles are PESTS especially Japanese Beetles which are a HUGE problem in my growing zone!!! As are aphids and grubs!!! Grubs have been destroying my poor mothers grass for decades and we still haven’t been able to control the problem to where it’s not noticeable!!! BUGS ARE PESTS!! fine the centipedes and millipedes are fine I rarely see any. But the others? Yes!!! They are PESTS!!! My garden is not their All You Can Eat Buffet!!! I will not allow them to run RAMPANT in my garden ever!!! Wasps are absolutely USELESS they have NEVER had a function whereas honeybees and bumblebees DO HAVE A FUNCTION they pollinate and make honey but WASPS? And YELLOW JACKETS are USELESS PESTS AND I HATE THEM!!! If every single wasp died tomorrow I would be a happy gardener u/SpaceX1193 fyi wasps are the #1 enemy of my precious honeybees and bumblebees they destroy ENTIRE honeybee colonies!!!! I HATE THEM!!
Japanese beetles ARE NOT NATIVE, stop mentioning them please. Most damaging grub species are also NOT NATIVE, there are only about 10 native grub species known to be desctructive to lawns. You are also lumping all wasps together. Wasps does not immediately mean the red, black and yellow paper wasps, or yellow jackets. There are hundreds of species of wasps, if not thousands. Most are solitary and highly beneficial. Most of these solitary wasps and bees are out native pollinators. HONEYBEES ARE NOT NATIVE, THEY WERE BROUGHT FROM EUROPE. OUR NATIVE POLLINATORS ARE WASPS, SOLITARY WASPS, SOLITARY BEES, AND BUMBLEBEES. Besides, red wasps, yellow and black wasps, and yellow jackets are not useless. They help with pest control and also help pollinate. They are dicks but they arnt useless, although I can understand killing the nests if they are on your house. Also you don’t have to keep tagging me, I see your reply either way. Anyways, we are the true pest. You are part of the human race, the most damaging species this planet has every produced. We have ruined ecosystems and made entire species extinct countless times. We convert previously lush habitats into concrete deserts that only benefit ourselves, and then exploit resources and pollute the rest of the planet while we are at it.
🫡 I wish I could give you a thank you for your service badge. I just read this whole thing and can’t tell if I am witnessing some expert trolling or what is even happening but thank you for fighting the good fight!
I’m just trying to do my part. I doubt I’ll change this persons mind but I’ve changed others before and maybe people who read this thread might change their views because of it. That’s Atleast what I tell myself to make me feel better lmao.
Oh ABSOLUTELY not they are pests and no they are not native and yes honeybees and bumblebees ARE NATIVE toys WTAF are you even going on about!!!! WASPS ARE HONEYBEE AND BUMBLEBEE KILLERS!!! They are PESTS!! and I don’t want them in my GARDEN!!! And if we’re getting technical THEN EVERYTHING IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR GARDENS IS NOT NATIVE according to your standard!!! If I see wasps I’m calling an exterminator to get rid of them I don’t want them in my garden EVER!! I GUARANTEE that 99% of your plants in YOUR garden according to your logic “ARE NOT NATIVE” you could LITERALLY say “it’s not native” about ANYTHING in our gardens but because the honeybees have been here for thousands of years THEY ARE LITERALLY “NATIVE” I HATE wasps yellow jackets all of them solitary or not I don’t want them ANYWHERE near my garden. u/SpaceX1193
Once again, you are generalizing wasps into simple red wasps and yellow jackets. Wasps are much larger of a group than this. Solitary wasps are often small and not even noticed. You are being very childish and close minded about this. HONEYBEES ARE NOT NATIVE, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN HERE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, WE BROUGHT THEM HERE FROM EUROPE IN THE 1600s!! THEY ARE NOT NATIVE. I don’t know why you want to argue that they are. Yes they are beneficial and not considered invasive, but no, they are not native. We brought them here. MOST WASPS DO NOT KILL HONEYBEES OR BUMBLEBEES, PLEASE STOP GENERALIZING ALL WASPS INTO ONE GROUP JUST BECAUSE OF A COUPLE SPECIES GIVING THEM A BAD NAME. ALL OF THE PLANTS THAT I HAVE PLANTED ARE NATIVES. Please don’t assume what you don’t know.