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The battle over genetically-altered plants is sending its rhizomes into new territory, with a California bill that would let farmers sue corporations for cross-contamination of natural plants. But so far, all landscape plants are bred the old-fashioned way-through artificial selection. That may change over the next decade, but only if public attitudes toward genetic-modification technology evolves. ?EUR??,,????'??I don?EUR??,,????'???t see it happening in the next year or two,?EUR??,,????'?? said Mark Teffeau, director of research for the American Nursery and Landscape Association. ?EUR??,,????'??There has been some discussion, but I?EUR??,,????'???m not sure the consumer is ready for it.?EUR??,,????'?? Currently, the only genetically-modified (GM) products available to consumers are corn and a few other food crops. Genetic modification involves harvesting genes from one species and inserting them into another. Traditional breeding-or artificial selection-has botanists retain (and breed) plants with desired characteristics and discard plants that don?EUR??,,????'???t measure up. Scientists are now able to isolate genetic characteristics from a plant and transfer them to an animal, and vice versa. For example, one team has isolated the gene that makes fireflies glow and introduced it into plants, bacteria, even mammals. Some GM crop plants have a gene that confers resistance to glyphosate herbicide added to them. The idea is to simplify weed suppression, but some environmental advocates caution that these plants might run amok. Corporations, on the other hand, hope to make hundreds of millions of dollars with genetic engineering.
The battle over genetically-altered plants is sending its rhizomes into new territory, with a California bill that would let farmers sue corporations for cross-contamination of natural plants. But so far, all landscape plants are bred the old-fashioned way-through artificial selection.
That may change over the next decade, but only if public attitudes toward genetic-modification technology evolves.
?EUR??,,????'??I don?EUR??,,????'???t see it happening in the next year or two,?EUR??,,????'?? said Mark Teffeau, director of research for the American Nursery and Landscape Association. ?EUR??,,????'??There has been some discussion, but I?EUR??,,????'???m not sure the consumer is ready for it.?EUR??,,????'??
Currently, the only genetically-modified (GM) products available to consumers are corn and a few other food crops. Genetic modification involves harvesting genes from one species and inserting them into another. Traditional breeding-or artificial selection-has botanists retain (and breed) plants with desired characteristics and discard plants that don?EUR??,,????'???t measure up.
Scientists are now able to isolate genetic characteristics from a plant and transfer them to an animal, and vice versa. For example, one team has isolated the gene that makes fireflies glow and introduced it into plants, bacteria, even mammals.
Some GM crop plants have a gene that confers resistance to glyphosate herbicide added to them. The idea is to simplify weed suppression, but some environmental advocates caution that these plants might run amok. Corporations, on the other hand, hope to make hundreds of millions of dollars with genetic engineering.
Some nursery outlets, like California-based Roger?EUR??,,????'???s Gardens, say they will refuse to stock any GM plants that hit the market. Nursery growers are reluctant to try the technology-given the difficulties GM food crop seed has run into across the globe. ?EUR??,,????'??I don?EUR??,,????'???t know of any (on the market today) that are genetically modified,?EUR??,,????'?? said Mike Partelow, a horticulturist at Roger?EUR??,,????'???s Gardens in Newport Beach, Calif. ?EUR??,,????'??The bar is technological and economic. The nursery market is notoriously fickle. Growers want to invest a lot of money and take a huge loss.?EUR??,,????'?? Several groups have used GM technology to take a crack at one of horticulture?EUR??,,????'???s holy grails-a pure blue rose. So far, success has eluded them. ?EUR??,,????'??Whoever makes that breakthrough will make a fortune,?EUR??,,????'?? Partelow said. Public is More Wary Landscape professionals may be less skeptical about GM plants. A survey published in January showed that a majority of Connecticut landscapers thought it would be a positive step to use the technology to produce non-flowering strains of Japanese silver grass (miscanthus) and other invasive species. The survey was published by the American Society for Horticultural Science. The public-especially in Europe-remains wary. And Americans are becoming more cautious. Over the last three years, California?EUR??,,????'???s Marin, Mendocino, Santa Cruz and Trinity counties have banned genetically-altered plants. Beachside Santa Monica even adopted an ordinance to keep GM crops out of its community garden. At the same time, genetically engineered plants are more popular than ever across the globe. Between 1996 and 2006, the amount of land cultivated worldwide with GM plants increased from 4.2 million acres to 250 million acres, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report. Over half of those acres were in the United States. Genetically engineered plants can provide bigger crops, and be disease and herbicide resistant, supporters note. In 2005, 52% of corn, 87% of soybeans and 79% of cotton planted in the United States was genetically engineered, according to a 2006 USDA report. Sources: Los Angeles Times, American Society for Horticultural Science, Mike Partelow, www.mikepartelow.com, American Nursery and Landscape Association.
Some nursery outlets, like California-based Roger?EUR??,,????'???s Gardens, say they will refuse to stock any GM plants that hit the market. Nursery growers are reluctant to try the technology-given the difficulties GM food crop seed has run into across the globe.
?EUR??,,????'??I don?EUR??,,????'???t know of any (on the market today) that are genetically modified,?EUR??,,????'?? said Mike Partelow, a horticulturist at Roger?EUR??,,????'???s Gardens in Newport Beach, Calif. ?EUR??,,????'??The bar is technological and economic. The nursery market is notoriously fickle. Growers want to invest a lot of money and take a huge loss.?EUR??,,????'??
Several groups have used GM technology to take a crack at one of horticulture?EUR??,,????'???s holy grails-a pure blue rose. So far, success has eluded them.
?EUR??,,????'??Whoever makes that breakthrough will make a fortune,?EUR??,,????'?? Partelow said.
Landscape professionals may be less skeptical about GM plants. A survey published in January showed that a majority of Connecticut landscapers thought it would be a positive step to use the technology to produce non-flowering strains of Japanese silver grass (miscanthus) and other invasive species. The survey was published by the American Society for Horticultural Science.
The public-especially in Europe-remains wary. And Americans are becoming more cautious. Over the last three years, California?EUR??,,????'???s Marin, Mendocino, Santa Cruz and Trinity counties have banned genetically-altered plants. Beachside Santa Monica even adopted an ordinance to keep GM crops out of its community garden.
At the same time, genetically engineered plants are more popular than ever across the globe.
Between 1996 and 2006, the amount of land cultivated worldwide with GM plants increased from 4.2 million acres to 250 million acres, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report. Over half of those acres were in the United States.
Genetically engineered plants can provide bigger crops, and be disease and herbicide resistant, supporters note.
In 2005, 52% of corn, 87% of soybeans and 79% of cotton planted in the United States was genetically engineered, according to a 2006 USDA report.
Sources: Los Angeles Times, American Society for Horticultural Science, Mike Partelow, www.mikepartelow.com, American Nursery and Landscape Association.
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
November 12th, 2025
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