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Abstract
There are questions as to what extent new cultivated lines of native plants should be assessed for ecological consequences through their use in managed landscapes. Here we provide an example of an ecological trial by testing new interspecific hybrids of milkweed for their ecological impacts, prior to market release. We investigate the reproductive biology of the hybrids to understand the likelihood of outcrossing of hybrid genes into natural populations of A. tuberosa, as well as the likelihood that hybrids could establish in natural environments. We then look into the ecosystem services for pollinator species, as selecting for horticulturally preferable traits could inadvertently select away from traits contributing to the coadapted plant-pollinator relationship. We suggest that new cultivars of native species should be shown to support diverse groups of pollinator species, with minimal loss of floral rewards, and with minimal likelihood of introgression, outcrossing, and establishment into natural populations.