I learned recently that there is a major war going on against ice plants. These beautiful succulents have long been naturalized in California, stabilize the soil, provide a perfect fire break, are zero maintenance and look beautiful.
What’s more, the same state and local governments that spent countless millions of taxpayers’ dollars to plant them are now spending countless millions to destroy them.
So what is the problem? Why are they all of a sudden so hated and considered so evil?
Because they are not native!
Environmentalists want everything rolled back to 1492 before the evil, non-native white man arrived, and their campaign is relentless.
Eucalyptus trees are similarly under massive assault.
Assholes. There are few plants I love more than ice plants and eucalyptus trees.
And not to rant, but there few people I loathe more than environmentalists.
I realize this nonsense is grounded in full employment for environmentalists, but hell, these Puritan scolds are doing their best to ruin things we love.
To me, the worst part is that they are telling us what we should hate — whether we hate it or not. A friend emailed me to say that “these [Ice plants and Eucalyptus trees] are 2 of my favorite plants. I think often of the years I would drive out to the horse track and jog, inhaling the intoxicating ocean air filtered through the Eucalyptus. Just magical.”
Another told me that what he most loved about California as a child was “riding cardboard boxes down the ice plants, picking Ice plant flowers for my mother, and Palm trees.”
It wouldn’t surprise me if non-native Palm eradication is next.
Comments
2 responses to “Pliant citizens are told what to hate”
I remember driving through the eucalyptus groves up in the Berkeley hills back in the day. They are magical.
Eric, California isn’t the worst at enforcing wacko environmentalism. In Washington state they have gone over the edge by classifying common landscape plants as noxious weeds. If you don’t eradicate them, they can forcibly do the job, bill you, and if you refuse to pay put a lien on your property.
http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/ab_weedlaws.htm
The list of plants includes many common vines and shrubs, including Scotch Broom (which can become a pest) as well as English Ivy and Holly! The flowers in include Four ‘O Clocks and fragrant Water Lily. Here is a partial list:
http://www.wwu.edu/lead/Invasives.shtml
One small irony in this is the Cascara Tree, which is native. The Chinook Tribe called it the “Chittem” tree, a polite spelling for “Shittem” because of its laxative effect. I can’t think of any shrub that is more noxious that this one. You will get the runs simply by handling twigs and leaves, let alone eating the berries. Save the Chittem tree and tear out the Holly bush. Insanity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhamnus_purshiana