Why is it allowed for garden centres/nurseries to sell highly invasive plants?

[marigoldflower]

I've been to reputable garden centres (mainly in London) and I've seen that they sell plants like Kalanchoe Mother of Millions or Tillansia Zerographica (air plant)

Why is this allowed?

I try to be meticulous when buying plants as I unknowingly purchased an invasive plant in the past, though thankfully I managed to get rid of it before it took hold

I've also seen the damage air plants can do to pine trees (in a whole neighbourhood) for instance, and they are virtually impossible to eradicate. They can grow on phone lines, lamp posts, etc

So I was quite shocked when I saw this

This piece may somewhat overstate the case against rhododendrons, but it's broadly correct. They can form large areas of near monoculture with far fewer other plants and don't support wildlife like native woodland.
This is the feral purple type - AFAIK the other coloured cultivars which are what is sold in garden centres don't spread.

www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/rhododen.htm

Exactly my point. It isn’t all rhododendrons, just one type

Rhododendrons are an absolute menance in Scotland - but yes, I do feel sad now they have been cleared from so many areas - they were stunningly beautiful.

I think there may be a US/UK divide going on here...

Maybe more of a difference between types which can go feral vs effectively neutered attractive cultivars - same sort of thing with buddleia I guess.

Though of course, what's a native wildflower in balance with its environment on one country is an alien invader in another. I gather garlic mustard - one of the many unobtrusive wayside plants here, iirc food for orange tip butterflies - is a menace in the USA.

@CallMeNutribullet

It's legal to sell deadly nightshade in the UK and the seeds can easily be bought online. Now THAT'S crazy in my opinion

It’s a native wild flower!

IF you’re worried about selling poisonous plants, you’d have to stop the sales of daffodils

foxgloves and monchshood and hemlock are also native plants... and very very poisonous

IF you’re worried about selling poisonous plants, you’d have to stop the sales of daffodils

Which wouldn't work as there are wild varieties that propagate naturally.

(Please don't let garden varieties go into the wild.)

@HasaDigaEebowai

This thread is bonkers. Rhododendron are beautiful shrubs which enhance most gardens. They’re only “invasive” to the extent that they were left decades ago to run free in ancient woodland, and even then I’d argue (as someone who lives in ancient woodland that was rhododendron cleared in the 80s) that the woodland is the sadder for having them removed. I spend time adding them back in!

It is only Rhododendron ponticum that's the real issue. The problem is that it forms such dense thickets that it completely shades out all native plant growth, nothing can compete with it, nothing eats it, and despite looking lovely, it destroys the natural heathland or woodland habitat.

Here's some info on common poisonous plants.

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/07/uk-poisonous-plants/

rRhododendrons were planted to provide cover for pheasants etc for shooting.
I noticed Japanese knotweed on the banks of the local river so contacted the council but they no longer treat it since cutbacks. I would have to pay a company to deal with it. This is in Scotland .

@RedMarauder

IF you’re worried about selling poisonous plants, you’d have to stop the sales of daffodils

Which wouldn't work as there are wild varieties that propagate naturally.

(Please don't let garden varieties go into the wild.)

Just as deadly nightshade does

I don't know if anyone can advise me on the plant I bought down the pub: it keeps saying "Feed me, Herman" and has big teeth.

The leaves of potatoes and tomatoes are poisonous (being in the same family as deadly nightshade) - eat enough potato leaves and you might die, but we don't live in a world devoid of all risk, and we cannot. Poisonous plants are fine as long as you use common sense and don't randomly eat stuff you don't know for sure is edible. Which is pretty easy in a world that contains supermarkets.

@AlfonsoTheMango

I don't know if anyone can advise me on the plant I bought down the pub: it keeps saying "Feed me, Herman" and has big teeth.

It wasn't sold to you by someone called Audrey, was it?

Audrey...Audrey... Yes, the name rings a bell.

my neighbours also planted russian vine !
they got rid of it

they did a huge clearing of the rhododendrons in my local wood, i was sad.