Quote:
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Originally Posted by Nick Maclaren
In article ,
"a.c." writes:
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| Ah yes. It started with beech and went on to others.
| So, I'll add another. Elder berry (sambucus) does seems to have a nasty
| habit of being able to wipe out its immediate neighbours, especially
| within a privet hedge
Not in my garden, it doesn't, nor in any of the (mainly whitethorn and
blackthorn) ones that I was familiar with in Wiltshire. But it could
well happen sometimes.
There are known to be many dozens of ways, physical, chemical and
probably other, by which many species attempts to discourage others.
The big mistake is when people extrapolate an observation that there
is SOME effect under ONE circumstance into the claim that there is
an ABSOLUTE effect under ALL circumstances. And, with a VERY few
exceptions, SOME in the above is a synonym for SMALL.
The same thing applies to ants, aphids and broad beans :-(
Regards,
Nick Maclaren. |
Many Thanks Nick - Will spread it around. Can't beat the Victorians for
knowing what they are doing.
Whilst on this, (allelopathy ? ), subject may I mention the vine Solanum
Crispum - 'Glasnevin'. For myself I would take a lot of convincing that this
does NOT poison its immediate root area. I have on three different occasions,
in three diferent gardens, lost substantial shrubs, - Viburnum tinus, Berberis
darwinii, and such like, by a process of gradual die-back, when close to it.
Although I like this vine - and it has its uses, I would never plant it in the open ground again. In a container, maybe.
Dave