A survey of native plant materials use and commercial availability in the Eastern United States

Abstract

We report on the opinions of respondents to a survey of native plant material (NPM) users east of the Mississippi River. We sought respondents who would have a sufficient depth of experience and interest to be able to answer the survey questions. To find potential respondents, we first built a geographically diverse list of NPM-user organizations and then asked them to help us promote the survey through their social networks. Survey respondents expressed a preference for local ecotypes (74%) and almost no interest in cultivars (0.3%). Respondents identified commercial availability as the greatest barrier to their use of local ecotypes. Of the respondents, 92% use native seeds, and those who prefer local ecotypes are shopping farther afield than their concept of “local” would support. The most popular seed vendor is on average 584 km (363 mi) away from the respondent’s location, and the second most popular is 1296 km (805 mi) away. Respondents who think of local as being in-state buy out-of-state 85% of the time. Of the respondents, 90% have less than 2 year’s lead time before acquiring NPM, which is not enough time to have wild seeds agronomically increased or plants contract grown. Given those circumstances, 83% would be willing to pay a premium to obtain the ecotypes they want. Among potential solutions to the commercial shortage problem, 99% of respondents supported creation of an online marketplace for sharing supply-and-demand information. Respondents expect their demand for NPMs to increase, highlighting the importance of addressing these issues now.