Patented Plants
Most plant buyers pay little mind to the fine print on plant tags. Believe it or not, even plants come with fine print these days. What is said is that the plant with the tag is property of the patent holder, and the purchaser is buying the right to grow that plant until it is dead. It is true: you can do just about anything you want with the plant, except propagate it. In the ornamental industry we feel that we have gained by this explosion of patented plants available. Twenty years ago lantana and verbena were considered exotics; now hundreds of new varieties are introduced each year. All these new plants have certainly been fun for us gardeners.