All: Please reply to Don Weber below not Sam Droege...thanks sam P.S. I have planted a bunch of Chia in my Garden!
Chia (Salvia hispanica) is a promising pollinator provider and cover crop. We need trials under a variety of growing conditions to see what its full potential is as a bee forage crop and cover crop! Yes, it?s the same chia as in ?Ch-ch-chia Pet?, but aside from sprouting on whimsical ceramic figures, it is a tall annual in the mint family, native to Central America and Mexico, and was the 3rd most important staple of the Aztecs, to say nothing of its special nutritional benefits. Many mints are great bee plants but many are also aggresive perennials which will take over a garden. Not chia, which may offer the pollinator benefits of the mint family without the aggressive, weedy side. Please see my website and links there for more info: http://www.ars.usda.gov/pandp/docs.htm?docid=19317 Then, email me for your free seed, with instructions on planting it and reporting your crop results and what bees it attracts! Thanks for all of your interest, Don Weber ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Donald C. Weber, Research Entomologist & Lead Scientist USDA Agricultural Research Service Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory Bldg. 011A, Rm. 107, BARC-West Beltsville, MD 20705 USA don.we...@ars.usda.gov http://www.ars.usda.gov/pandp/people/people.htm?personid=30842
