Hi Donald nice to see you again! Well, i see hybrids as a way of humans attempting to improve on nature and i don't think we humans are smart enough to do that without making a mess of the natural order of things. It is just my personal feeling. I'm not saying it is right or wrong. On a practical note, i have a butterfly garden (visited by all the other nectar lovers as well) and quite frankly, over the past few years, i have noticed they prefer the wildflowers and weeds to the other more refined plants. This leads me to believe the wild plants and weeds are more nectar rich, but possibly the preference comes from the nectar lovers being familiar with the wild plants and weeds over eons of time. I really can't say, but i give them what they want in terms of host and nectar plants which is also why i keep a distance from the hybrids...with the exception of hibiscus and jasmine. I don't think there are any natural hibiscus anymore.
As an example, i have a Mexican Flame Vine that is wildly popular with bugs, birds, butterflies, and me. This vine is native to Mexico, specifically the El Tejin region of the state of Veracruz. I am told by people in the US who grow this plant that it will not reproduce from seed, and that is has no fragrance. My vine (which i found in a rag-tag garden a little way up the mountain) does produce viable seeds and does have a lovely fragrance. Otherwise the vines look exactly the same...so why is that? I have to think that the vines circulating in the US have been genetically played with, although the butterflies also flock to those vines so we know they are nectar rich. It is a curiosity for me.
I love my little garden and all the creatures (except the ants and wasps and mosquitoes who can really be annoying) who find habitat and take refuge there, but i can tell you one thing for sure...photos of my garden are never going to end up in the "beautiful garden" magazines
I hope i have not been overly wordy responding to your question. I am a big fan of curiosity...I expect we are going to end up in the Sandbox
