For many people, there is an impulse to reach out and pick a flower in a beautiful butterfly-filled meadow or along a public wooded trail lined with spring beauties, irises or wake-robins. Millions of people visit the public lands each year; and, if only a small fraction of them picked a few flowers, soon there would be none for others to enjoy.Almost all wildflowers are fragile, and many wilt and perish soon after being picked. Over the years, the repercussions of wildflower picking by unthinking people go far beyond the loss of the flowers themselves. A critical chain of events is triggered for years to come once wildflowers are lost. Wildflowers support entire ecosystems for pollinators, birds and small animals on a micro scale. Butterflies and other insects, small birds and animals depend on seeds, nectar and pollen for their food supply and life support system. In addition, some pollinators are not mobile or have small home ranges or depend on just one species of plant. Once their habitat has been destroyed, they die.The Forest Service is enthusiastic about the publicís increased interest in native plants found on national forests and grasslands. This interest and increased knowledge and awareness of the benefits of landscaping and gardening with native plants have resulted in nurseries producing native plants for the public to grow. Unfortunately, the Forest Service is experiencing increased poaching of native wildflowers; even some that are listed as endangered species. Many people desire species not available commercially because these plants are difficult to grow or take too many years to reach maturity; and some people desire the rarest of the rare, bringing those precious jewels ever closer to extinction. Consequently, some people are illegally removing wildflowers and other native plants from their natural habitats. In some cases, entire populations of a species have been stolen.Rare and unusual plants such as carnivorous pitcher plants (Sarracenia sp.) have become rarer due to illegal removal from public lands.There are four main consequences to this illegal activity:
- All living organisms need to reproduce. Digging up wildflowers, picking wildflowers, or collecting their seed will reduce a plant’s ability to reproduce and will adversely affect its long-term survival in that location.
- Removing wildflowers from the wild can adversely affect pollinators and other animals that depend on that species for food and cover.
- Removing wildflowers from national forests and grasslands prevents other visitors from enjoying the natural heritage.
- Most wildflowers when dug from their natural habitat do not survive being transplanted.
