Warm Season Gorse Substitute

[Ryan Farrow]

Ryan,

For godsakes please refer to a plant biologist or something similiar before throwing something in the ground.  Not to be a prick, but I don't know of anyone on this board qualified to suggest a plant to this region without serious ecological repercussion. 

Ask the folks in Bandon if gorse introduction was a good thing.  Or ask my 90 year old grandfather back home Georgia if he wishes they had it to do all over again in regards to kudzu. 

Ben, the plan was not to introduce a highly invasive plant to the region... just a similar looking plant. Also, I think my landscape architecture degree well qualifies me for doing a Google search to see if a plant is invasive or not. Nowadays readily available plants from nurseries are well studied and clearly understood. There is no need for a plant biologist here. Deep breaths.

[Jon Wiggett]

Ryan,

the question is 'should you be even contemplating introducing a non native to a landscape'.

Jon

[Jim Adkisson]

Ask the folks in Bandon if gorse introduction was a good thing.

Ben, I suspect that if the highly invasive and wildly flammable gorse had not been introduced to the southern Oregon coast, there is minimal chance that Bandon Dunes Golf Resort would even exist.

[Ryan Farrow]

Ryan,

the question is 'should you be even contemplating introducing a non native to a landscape'.

Jon

 

[Kyle Harris]

Ryan,

the question is 'should you be even contemplating introducing a non native to a landscape'.

Jon

 

You mean.... like turf?

[Lester George]

Ryan,

You may want to look at Canola (Rapeseed) or (Brassica rapa) or some other varieties of the field mustard family.  I have it growing on my site in China and I intend to leave the outer portions of the course populated with it just becuase of the brilliant yellow bloom and it is also a fairly standard crop over there. 

Lester

[Ben Sims]

Deep breaths.

Okay, wooosaaaa, wooosaaaa.  I feel better.  I still don't like the idea of introducing a non-native species that I assume will not be controlled through cultivation (i.e, in the "native" areas).  But deep breaths have helped.

Jim,

Yes, there is that chance.  I don't know enough about the genesis of The Resort to know if Mike Keiser would not have built Bandon Dunes without gorse.  And I am sure Lord George Bennett had the best of intentions in introducing it to the area.  But there is little debate as to whether its introduction in that area has had massive repercussions ecologically.   BDGR has been a spearhead for controlling the plant in more modern years, that's for sure. 

Kyle,

I know when I think of kudzu or gorse, the first thing I equate it to is creeping bentgrass!   

[Garland Bayley]

Ben,

The gorse was the reason the property was available for the price that it was available for. It drove down the desirability and the price for other customers, and was seen to be a problem for Keiser too. The stuff was extremely hard to clear.

[Jason Topp]

I am surprised that anyone would want to introduce something that replicates the playing characteristics of gorse.  Other than tradition, it is a miserable plant for golf - lost balls and almost no chance for recovery. 

You could just place some in course ob stakes at random spots around the course.

[Kalen Braley]

I am surprised that anyone would want to introduce something that replicates the playing characteristics of gorse.  Other than tradition, it is a miserable plant for golf - lost balls and almost no chance for recovery. 

You could just place some in course ob stakes at random spots around the course.

+1 

Gorse is another "tradition" of the game that "purists" seem to love, yet fails nearly every rational test when compared with the ideals of good golf course architecture.

[Jon Wiggett]

Ryan,

the question is 'should you be even contemplating introducing a non native to a landscape'.

Jon

 

You mean.... like turf?

Jim,

turf is made up of GRASS but it is not a plant itself. I am suprised you did not know this.

Jon

[Jon Wiggett]

Ryan,

the question is 'should you be even contemplating introducing a non native to a landscape'.

Jon

 

Ryan,

what part of what I said did you not get?

The world is full of examples of people (often good intentioned) introducing non native species to areas thinking they would be no problem only to see them get totally out of control. I am surprised your  'landscape architecture degree' did not cover this. Find a native plant that fits the bill.

Jon

[Ryan Farrow]

Ryan,

the question is 'should you be even contemplating introducing a non native to a landscape'.

Jon

 

You mean.... like turf?

Jim,

turf is made up of GRASS but it is not a plant itself. I am suprised you did not know this.

Jon

Hey Bob,

I think it's time to lay off the grass. You're losing it man.

[Jon Wiggett]

Ryan,

the subject you asked about was nothing to do with grass, you were talking about a substitute for gorse. I assume Kyle's comment was just thrown in to stir things up as it was not to do with the original subject or my answer. My reply to him was a sort of 'tousche' response.

Your lack of response to my previous post says a lot.

Jon

[Ryan Farrow]

Jon, I had this really thought out, grammatically correct response , but at the end of the day......hey, I went to ASU 

[Garland Bayley]

It looks like Arizona State is where blondes go to catch skin cancer.

Jon, I had this really thought out, grammatically correct response , but at the end of the day......hey, I went to ASU 

[Ryan Farrow]

AMF! 

[Jon Wiggett]

Jon, I had this really thought out, grammatically correct response , but at the end of the day......hey, I went to ASU 

I take it that the girl in the middle is the non native 

[Kyle Harris]

Ben:

Non-native plants are everywhere. Whether or not they are also invasive is the problem.

The only turfgrass plant native to the continental United States is Buffalograss.

[Jon Wiggett]

Ben:

Non-native plants are everywhere. Whether or not they are also invasive is the problem.

The only turfgrass plant native to the continental United States is Buffalograss.

Kyle,

excuse my ignorance but isn't poa annuaa USA native? I know many consider it a weed but there are just as many that don't.

Jon

[Kyle Harris]

Ben:

Non-native plants are everywhere. Whether or not they are also invasive is the problem.

The only turfgrass plant native to the continental United States is Buffalograss.

Kyle,

excuse my ignorance but isn't poa annuaa USA native? I know many consider it a weed but there are just as many that don't.

Jon

It is not. The Bluegrasses were imported from continental Europe during the colonial era.

[Jon Wiggett]

Ben:

Non-native plants are everywhere. Whether or not they are also invasive is the problem.

The only turfgrass plant native to the continental United States is Buffalograss.

Kyle,

excuse my ignorance but isn't poa annuaa USA native? I know many consider it a weed but there are just as many that don't.

Jon

It is not. The Bluegrasses were imported from continental Europe during the colonial era.

Thanks Kyle,

Never knew that. You learn something new every day

Jon

[Kris Spence]

Ryan, the plant in the photo is located in Richmond VA, I'm not sure of the proper name, variegated or yellow tip Juniper].  It has a similar look and will definitely ruin your day if your ball goes into it like gorse.