Seeds & Alien species

valen

Hey...I'm looking to get a hold of the following seeds;

Myrica gale
Achillea millefolium
Rhododendron tomentosum or Rhododendron groenlandicum
Artemisia vulgaris
Artemisia absinthium

The idea is I want to make a small herb garden with some of these herbs that were very popular in medieval Europe. A friend has offered to send some over from his garden in New York, but I'm nervous about importing possibly alien species without a licence.

So does anyone:
Know where I could get them (seeds, plants or herbs) in Ireland (first two seem easy enough over the internet from abroad).
If there is someone I could contact to find out do I need to get a licence
If it would be bad to plant some or all of these species in the wild, and let them grow on a roadside etc.

Any answers would be good, as long as the end result is that I can get a hold of some of the herbs in the end !

John

hobie

I always worry about the use/propogation of anything called VULGARIS after planting a variety in my pond that took over the complete surface very quickly ..... I was literally removing it by the wheelbarrow load every few weeks .....

I looked up the 'Artemisia vulgaris' in your list and found some worrying characteristics ....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mugwort

You are certainly correct to do some detailed research before introducing anything into Ireland that may do more harm than good .... :rolleyes:

looksee

Myrica Gale (bog myrtle) is available as a cultivated plant, and therefore may well be available from a good garden centre.

Achillia and both artimesias are common and widespread in the wild in both of these islands. Artemesia absinthum possibly less so.

I can't help you with the rhododendrons.

http://www.edirectory.co.uk/chilternseeds/pages/index.asp?cid=211

Chiltern seeds (link above) do a huge range of seeds which would probably be of help.

I would be reluctant to sow any seeds in the wild, but I could not see any problem with putting the ones you have mentioned (apart from the rhododendron) in a herb bed as they are all very common.

(where did that 'thumbs up' come from)

valen

A friend offered to me me use his conservatory to grow them (might also guarantee a crop, for a change).

Any idea of possible legal problems importing from the US, without going through the dept. of agriculture etc. ?

I'd a look through the regulations, and they seem more concerned with making sure that you don't bring in seeds that the Irish agriculture industry relies on.

John