Planting season is in full swing, garden centers are bustling — and a botany expert took to TikTok to warn followers about a lurking menace spotted on an otherwise unassuming Home Depot seed carousel.
Shoppers might expect it's safe to assume that if a seed variety is readily available at a nationwide, garden-centric retailer, it's tacitly harmless.
@sacramentofoodforest It really bothers me that stores are selling invasive wildflower seeds as pollinator friendly native plants. When in reality invasive species are taking over California and crashing biodiversity. Buy native seeds. Not cornflowers. #wildflower #invasivespecies #seeds #homedepot #cornflower #nativeplants #conservation #endangeredspecies #wildlife #gardening101 #seedstarting #natureathome #ladybug #guerrillagardening #learnontiktok #invasive #flowers #nursery #capitalism #dontdothis #nativeplants #cornflowerkiller #native #milkweed ♬ The Home Depot Beat - The Home Depot
That's not the case, according to Jessie Dickson (@sacramentofoodforest). During a shopping trip, Dickson was about to praise Home Depot for "how epic it is that they have native narrowleaf milkweed," a host plant known for its ability to attract and support pollinators.
"This is the mind f*** of Home Depot," Dickson began, with the camera pointed at the offending seed carousel. Just after spotting the native narrowleaf milkweed seeds, Dickson's eyes landed on a far less "epic" packet of seeds.
"But then, you've got the invasive bachelor's button literally right in front of [the milkweed]," Dickson sighed, laughing wearily. "Planting invasive plants like cornflowers will hurt endangered species," he added in an on-screen caption.
At least one commenter was unaware that cornflower ought to be avoided, highlighting the insidious risks that commercially available, invasive seeds pose.
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"I've never heard that bachelor's buttons are invasive," they said of the variety, which remains "widely available at big-box stores."
Several people in the comment section advocated for rewilding or upgrading to a native plant lawn.
"Plant natives for the homies," one remarked.
"Normalize planting native wildflowers," another said, recommending other commenters explore lower-effort, money-saving local species this season.
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If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation?
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Making it look better 🌱 "This is what we'll do," Dickson continued, grabbing several milkweed seed packets and using them to conceal the bachelor's button seeds. "Buy the native milkweed … save the monarchs by planting native," he concluded.
Dickson's frustration over the sale of invasive seeds at a big-box store persisted as he wrote the caption.
"It really bothers me that stores are selling invasive wildflower seeds as pollinator-friendly native plants when, in reality, invasive species are taking over California and crashing biodiversity," he began.
"Buy native seeds. Not cornflowers," Dickson added.
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