Do seed vaults include banned plants?

I don’t know if they actually do, but they should.

More than once, something that was thought to be a weed has turned out to be a farmable, profit-making plant that has commercial application. I would hope that the political correctness lobbyists would not stand in the way of storing seeds for ‘unpopular’ plants.

This site has some good information, and may have a section where you can ask such questions. Plants that may be banned in some places may not be banned in others.

Marijuana is a plant with known medicinal qualities, so I’m sure it’s included.

I’d be more curious about crap like poison ivy.
Although I see that, too is believed to have some possible medical uses, as well.
Humans really know so little. We should be saving every living thing that we can.

@ibstubro I think the main goal is also diversity, so sure poison ivy isn’t that useful, but it might be in restoring an area of the environment and maintaining balance.

No reason why it wouldn’t be. Marijuana may be prohibited in many places as a recreational drug, but the plant has textile uses as well. Hemp fibers are quite strong and can be used in a wide-range of applications from clothing to paper to rope.

They could eliminate star thistle with no consequences most certainly. Whether the seeds are in the vault, I have no idea how seed caching is determined.

Like milkweed.
Useless, eh?
But for the fact that it’s the only plant Monarch butterflies reproduce on.

@ibstubro Yep, Milkweed in beneficial. So is purple thistle, a primary food for Goldfinches.
I happen to like weeds. I used to forbid my gardener buddy from whacking down my grove of 4–5 foot tall Mule ears with the giant, velvety leaves and big stalk of yellow flowers. Step away from my weeds. haha

Butterflies are mesmerized by thistle.
I used to catch and release feeding butterflies when I was a boy.