Our project is an addition on a hardscape site. The client owns land across the driveway from the building site that is partially wooded with some grass. This area was not touched in the project. The owner will keep the area natural for life of project. The only care this area gets is to mow the existing grass. To get this point do we have to confirm that the existing plants are native adaptive species? Do we have to analyze the existing plants and if they are not native, remove them from the area to get the credit? Remember, we did not plant anything in the area and it has been in its current condition for many years. The owner is thinking he has to hire a plant specialist to identify all the plants and remove that which is not considered native.
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Joseph Ford, AIA
ArchitectRSP Architects Ltd.
17 thumbs up
October 30, 2013 - 1:11 pm
Peter,
Native plants and adapted plants are two different things. Native means indigenous to the site. Adapted includes basically anything that doesn't require active cultivation, e.g.: irrigation, pesticide application, to survive. Ergo, if a plant is there and it lives/grows on its own it's by definition adapted, so no elaborate plant identification is needed.
The important caveat to 'Adapted' is that it excludes anything considered an invasive species or noxious weed. To meet the intent of the credit the area in question should be surveyed for these plants and they should be removed if present. Typically an agency in your state, e.g.: Agriculture, or Natural Resources, will maintain a list of what is considered an invasive or weed. An experienced landscape contractor should be able to identify weeds, so I think calling in a botanist would be overkill.