Has anyone dug up plants from the shoulder? Im considering doing this because the plants just get mowed down. Its just native texas lantana and I don't think anyone would object?
In UK it is illegal to dig up plants from the countryside. If everyone went round digging the plants up nothing would be left for others to enjoy.
In Britain years ago Victorian plant hunters were keen to collect rare, special ferns. So much so that very rare ones were all taken from the wild...gone for ever. This has also happened to several plants in China. Now even collecting seeds is very tightly regulated by many countries.
Maybe in USA you have different laws. If you want Lantana why not sow seeds or buy the plants?
We don't really have shoulders in the UK James more verges and if they have plants they are more weeds than plants for the garden. Some of our native species it's illegal to dig up and remove so can't really advise you.
Thank you for the comments. These plants will be mowed over or sprayed next week and I was hoping to save some before it happened. Your right lantana probably is a weed in the Uk and here also but I still like the way it looks. The farmers here don't like it either. I think it makes cows ill. Your right too much trouble
I would take cuttings, and leave the plants for the bees and pollinators. Presumably they spring back up after mown down? In this case I would feel comfortable taking a decent amount of cutting material. If you take away some basal growth you'll be more likely to succeed, although I note it's in the Verbena family and Verbenas have always struck very easily for me even just in water.
There are significant campaigns in the UK to persuade local councils to look after their hedging and verges better, along the roads and byways - valuing the diversity and not cutting back at times when all the plants are just kicking off. It is a move that does seem to be gaining traction.
When I was in my twenties I bought a piece of property and began clearing the land of trees that I didn't want. I found out the hard way its illegal to cut down trees without council approval where I live even on your own property. My punishment was to pay for all of the trees to be planted in the new city park. My only conciliation was I have a plaque with my name on it saying how I was so generous in donating all of the trees for the park! Lol!
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If everyone went round digging the plants up nothing would be left for others to enjoy.
In Britain years ago Victorian plant hunters were keen to collect rare, special ferns.
So much so that very rare ones were all taken from the wild...gone for ever.
This has also happened to several plants in China.
Now even collecting seeds is very tightly regulated by many countries.
Maybe in USA you have different laws.
If you want Lantana why not sow seeds or buy the plants?