Watch for Neonicotinoids Use on Nursery Grown Plants

This is the time of year we are all out looking for plants (native or otherwise) to add to our gardens or with which to make new ones. I especially go nuts for the non-native pansies in the spring; my mother’s favorite flower. But we need to be aware there are nursery plants still being grown with the aid of some systemic Neonicotinoids. So be on the lookout for sellers who carry neonic-free plants and identify them through signage or labeling, and do your shopping with them.

If you let me know who these retailers are, I’ll compile a list to share.

Neonicotinoids

Neonicotinoids are a class of insecticide which are extremely toxic to bees and other pollinators, but are often used with nursery-grown trees, evergreens, shrubs, perennials, grasses, vines and ferns. The chemical is systemic which means it moves throughout the entire plant, making all parts of the plant toxic as well as the pollen and nectar in the flowers. So, please — try not to purchase plants grown with the use of Neonics.