Americans were once fiercely patriotic about plants. Thomas Jefferson was a devoted gardener at Monticello who wanted only plants “indigenous to our native soil” in the White House grounds, a friend recalled. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2026/08/18/which-native-plants-should-you-add-your-yard-look-up-your-state/?itid=sf_climate-environment_toptable_1_1