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Old 02-20-2014, 08:41 AM
 
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C.
36,499 posts, read 53,783,841 times
Reputation: 47904

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Quote:
Originally Posted by HB2HSV View Post
Look at it this way, if it looks like someone put effort into making them look nice you should ask for permission before you snip. But if you are out in the woods and it looks like wild flowers then it's probably okay.
Oh Lord such a wrong assumption! So many wild flowers and plants are endangered and because of idiot ignorant folks thinking since it's "in the wild" it is fair game. Don't dig up anything unless yoou have permission. I used to have a business of reclaiming abandoned plants from old farm houses, fields. I always sought and got permission to remove everything. Most owners are appreciative that Grandma's daffodils will beautify somebody's yard or that the azaleas Grandpa fussed over for years will be appreciated by somebody else. But by all means don't just assume something in the wild is yours to clip or dig.

Also be aware that a lot of plants are patented which means no propagation of any kind is allowed. Somebody spent years and a lot of money to produce this plant and they are protecting their investment. I don't blame them.
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Old 02-20-2014, 11:36 AM
 
Location: Central Texas
20,958 posts, read 45,178,837 times
Reputation: 24736
Quote:
Originally Posted by no kudzu View Post
Oh Lord such a wrong assumption! So many wild flowers and plants are endangered and because of idiot ignorant folks thinking since it's "in the wild" it is fair game. Don't dig up anything unless yoou have permission. I used to have a business of reclaiming abandoned plants from old farm houses, fields. I always sought and got permission to remove everything. Most owners are appreciative that Grandma's daffodils will beautify somebody's yard or that the azaleas Grandpa fussed over for years will be appreciated by somebody else. But by all means don't just assume something in the wild is yours to clip or dig.

Also be aware that a lot of plants are patented which means no propagation of any kind is allowed. Somebody spent years and a lot of money to produce this plant and they are protecting their investment. I don't blame them.
This. You can make up justifications all day long for doing something wrong, but that doesn't make it right. And as for "not damaging anything", if enough people think it's okay because they aren't hurting anything with their "one snip" and they're "the public" (and why shouldn't they if YOU can justify it to yourself that way - you're not any more special than they are), the plants WILL be damaged and possibly even killed.

I live in Texas and am well aware of the Texas Rose Rustlers. However, there is an etiquette to that which can be found in a PDF linked to on their website.

It starts thus:

"This organization does not endorse trespassing, nor removal of plant materials for which any would-be rustler does not have the proper authorization/permission to obtain. Simply stated, any rose that is not on your own property, probably belongs to someone else. It is the rustler’s responsibility to investigate ownership, and ask permission to visit the site and take a cutting. In the event that a rose is found “wild”, please make certain that you are not trespassing on government land, or property that is indeed under the care of an absentee owner."

That would seem to be pretty clear.

It goes on to advise the best way to get permission, and it also reminds rustlers that if you get a "No", then, well, no means no.
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Old 02-20-2014, 11:37 AM
 
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
41,940 posts, read 36,711,281 times
Reputation: 40634
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ceece View Post
If you aren't destroying the plants it's not "theft" in a legal sense. No it's not, don't even try that. I wouldn't hesitate to take a small cutting from something in a public area. I'm public

But it is vandalism.
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Old 02-20-2014, 12:12 PM
 
Location: California
37,042 posts, read 41,967,329 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timberline742 View Post
But it is vandalism.
So arrest me. OR show me an example of someone who's doing this on such a scale it requires legal solutions then you can focus on that.
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Old 02-20-2014, 04:41 PM
 
29 posts, read 64,037 times
Reputation: 49
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ceece View Post
So arrest me. OR show me an example of someone who's doing this on such a scale it requires legal solutions then you can focus on that.
I agree with you, i don't think their is any problem with it, heck, the "landscapers" do enough damage trimming these plants by themselves, one person taking a tiny clipping is not going to kill everyone's precious lifestyle...sheesh.

I guess here in Florida it might be different but its seriously not that big of a deal, 99% of the population cares nothing about plants and won't be taking clippings from anything, you might be lucky if they even notice the plant, prissy stuck up people might have a problem with it but they are just trying to find some sort of thing to complain about to fill that void in their lives....
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Old 02-20-2014, 05:40 PM
 
Location: Central Texas
20,958 posts, read 45,178,837 times
Reputation: 24736
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dakotafl View Post
I agree with you, i don't think their is any problem with it, heck, the "landscapers" do enough damage trimming these plants by themselves, one person taking a tiny clipping is not going to kill everyone's precious lifestyle...sheesh.

I guess here in Florida it might be different but its seriously not that big of a deal, 99% of the population cares nothing about plants and won't be taking clippings from anything, you might be lucky if they even notice the plant, prissy stuck up people might have a problem with it but they are just trying to find some sort of thing to complain about to fill that void in their lives....
In other words, "I want to do what I want to do and if someone objects to me stealing something of theirs THEY are the one with the problem." Got it. Crystal clear.
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Old 02-20-2014, 06:05 PM
 
Location: Wisconsin
19,480 posts, read 24,959,102 times
Reputation: 51106
Quote:
Originally Posted by HB2HSV View Post
Look at it this way, if it looks like someone put effort into making them look nice you should ask for permission before you snip. But if you are out in the woods and it looks like wild flowers then it's probably okay.
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Caladium View Post
Not everywhere, and definitely not if a plant is endangered or is protected for other reasons. For example, the woods near me are famous for having bluebells in the spring. It's spectacular because they fill the hillside--if everyone started taking cuttings the effect would be ruined. There aren't a whole lot of park rangers there, unfortunately, but if one sees you cutting one of the bluebells you'll get a fine. And don't even think about taking a cutting from the famous cherry trees on the tidal basin in DC. They have a real problem with that each spring.

Also property that may seem to be "out in the woods" may belong to someone. My sister in law has a real problem with people who trespass on her property in the Berkshires to harvest wild leeks growing there. It ticks her off because she doesn't like having trespassers, and more importantly the leeks were one of the reasons she bought the property. She's tried putting up "no trespassing" signs but when she confronts people either they claim they didn't see them or they just act like they have a right to go into woods that appear to be "out in the wild" and dig up/cut whatever they like. A lot of those people don't know what they're doing, too, and they end up hurting plants and leaving her property looking marred.
Of course, all woods belong to "someone". It may be Federal, State or City owned land or it may be private property but it belongs to someone.

You would be amazed how many people think that it is perfect fine to go into a woods (private property) and not only dig out plants and flowers but also cut down Christmas trees. Just because it is our "back forty (acres)" doesn't mean we don't care about our land. We love our land as much, or even more, than you love your city lot. We have lost total "patches" of certain types of wild flowers because strangers have come in and dug up and removed the entire patch!! Or have damaged the remaining plants so badly that they have died out.

There are certain rare and unusual plants where there may be only a few plants in one spot in the neighboring hundreds of acres of forest. Imagine the lost to future generations if people removed those plants. The patch of a type of Pink Lady Slippers (usually only two or three plants bloom each year) that my grandfather showed my father in 1930 and my father showed me in 1960 and I showed my children in 1990 wouldn't be there for me to show my grandchildren in 2014 if someone dug them up. My father did not see even one other patch (and he searched and searched for them) in his entire life. Dozens, if not hundreds of people have enjoyed seeing that small patch of rare flowers.

How many people would want someone to go on their private property (their back yard) and cut down one of their pine trees to use as a Christmas tree. Our farm has been in our family for almost 100 years and we happily give permission when people ask politely to cut a tree, take cuttings, dig out one or two plants (of the more common, not endangered wild flowers). But every year we have people steal trees, wood and flowers from us. Yes, it is STEALING. We own the land, we maintain it (there are very strict rules on harvesting trees, we just finished year 25 of a 75 year plan to have an Oak forest) and we pay property taxes on it----just like you own the land around your home.

But just because land is in the country doesn't mean it is open to everyone to damage & destroy and to steal objects/plants/trees.

Last edited by germaine2626; 02-20-2014 at 06:38 PM..
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Old 02-20-2014, 06:52 PM
 
13,395 posts, read 13,402,491 times
Reputation: 35709
No one is talking about chopping down trees or digging up plants. A cutting is about the same amount of foliage that would naturally fall off the plant during a vigorous storm.
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Old 02-20-2014, 06:56 PM
NCN
 
Location: NC/SC Border Patrol
21,661 posts, read 25,497,207 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by charlygal View Post
Gotta question. If there aren't any signs posted, is it theft to take clippings or cutting from flowers or plants that are in public places?

For instance, say there are pretty flowers planted in the median of a large street or a nice foliage plant collection in the courtyard of the local city hall? What if a restaurant has large planters outside of their restaurant and they have some nice English ivy trailing out.

Is it stealing to take a little snip? Again, there are no signs posted. Of course, one would never take any clippings from private homes.
Not something you would want to do on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our parents warned us against this. Not unless you want to be on the 5 O'clock news, that is.
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Old 02-20-2014, 07:02 PM
NCN
 
Location: NC/SC Border Patrol
21,661 posts, read 25,497,207 times
Reputation: 24337
Quote:
Originally Posted by charlygal View Post
No one is talking about chopping down trees or digging up plants. A cutting is about the same amount of foliage that would naturally fall off the plant during a vigorous storm.
If 500 people did this, how much would be left for others to enjoy? If you want a plant it is a good idea to ask someone with authority before taking it.

Last edited by NCN; 02-20-2014 at 07:18 PM..
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