What Are Native Plants and Why Are They So Important?
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As native plants have become a hot topic over the last few years, I’m sure you have heard about native plants and how we need to plant them in our landscapes. You may be wondering what defines a native plant and how do they differ from non-natives? In this post I will explain what native plants are, 10 reasons why you should plant them and how to incorporate them into your landscape.
What are Native Plants
Native plants by definition are plants that have grown naturally in a particular ecosystem or region over the course of many thousands of years. These plants have co-evolved with their local ecosystems and wildlife, forming symbiotic relationships with the pollinators, birds and other organisms of that region. These are plants that have occurred naturally in an ecosystem without any human introduction. While there are many definitions out there that define what a native plant is, one thing that they all have in common is the concept that these plants have had no direct or indirect human intervention and have remained genetically unaltered by humans.
What makes a non-native an Invasive plant?
Non-native plants on the other hand are defined as plants that have been introduced to a region through human intervention either directly or indirectly. While many non natives do not tend to become invasive, the ones that are invasive can get out of our control quickly, causing environmental and sometimes human harm. Some non-native plants can have aggressive growing habits such as excessive seed dispersal and aggressive roots systems that give them the advantage over other plants. When these plants are introduced into a natural ecosystem they can become invasive and outcompete our native plants for space, light and nutrients. This can wreck havoc on local ecosystems by diminishing our native plant populations, lowering biodiversity and displacing native food for local wildlife.
Symbiotic Relationships
Symbiotic relationships in nature come in all different forms, whether is is a mutualistic relationship that benefits both species or a commensalism type relationship that only benefits one species, it is a relationship that has formed between two different organisms. In some cases a species may not be able to survive without the other. As mentioned earlier, native plants have co-evolved and created these dynamic, symbiotic relationships with the living organisms in there environment over thousands of years. These relationships are the reasons why insects have adapted to feeding on certain species of plants in their ecosystems or why native bees have adapted to only pollinating certain types of native flowers. For example, a monarch caterpillar can only feed on milkweed and no other species of plants. Without milkweed, monarchs can not reproduce and therefore as a species, can’t survive.
Keystone Species
Keystone species, whether it be a plant, animal or fungi, have the highest impact on their local ecosystems and they often determine the presence and populations of many species. Without the presence of keystone species, an ecosystem could be altered drastically or collapse all together.
When it comes to choosing native plants for your landscape it is important to take keystone native plant species into consideration, especially if you have limited space to plant. Keystone native plants are the key to a successful backyard wildlife habitat so by choosing to plant keystone species in your landscape you will have the greatest impact on the amount of biodiversity that you bring to your home. For example, oak trees and goldenrod happen to be one of the best plants that I can choose for my region that would have the biggest impact in my landscape. In the book Nature’s Best Hope, Doug Tallamy explains how oak trees support over 500 different species of caterpillars, these caterpillar in turn make up a critical food source for 96% of song birds, especially during breeding season when birds are raising their young. Doug Tallamy also explains how goldenrod supports a large number of species such as caterpillars and pollinators, making it an important addition to your landscape.
A bumble bee on a native Tropical Sage
10 Reasons Why you need to Plant Native Plants in your Landscape:
Increased Biodiversity
Everything in an ecosystem is connected and each ecosystem has it’s own food chains and relationships. Plants are considered to be producers and make up the first level of the food chain, therefore everything in an ecosystem relies on the native plants that they co-evolved with. The more native plants that you add to your landscape, the more beneficial insects there will be which will also result in more birds and wildlife that feed on the insects and so on. Without native plants you won’t have the insects and without the insects you won’t have much else. So by planting native plants you will increase the biodiversity in your landscape and every species, including humans, rely on biodiversity for their very existance.
Provides food and shelter for local wildlife
Native plants provide better food and shelter sources for wildlife when compared to species from other regions of the world. Studies have shown that native plants provide a better food source for local wildlife and are often preferred over invasive or other non-native plants. Exotic berries are can be compared to junk food, often times they tend to be nutrient poor while native berries contain more of the nutrients that wildlife need. To give you an example, if migrating birds happen to fill up on nutrient poor, exotic berries before they make their long, exhausting migration, they may not have the energy to make it through. As mentioned previously, native plants bring insects so by planting native you will not only provide a crucial source of protein but by choosing to plant native fruiting plants you will also provide the nutrient dense berries and seeds that local wildlife depend on. Many native bees and pollinators have co-evolved with native flowers so by providing native flowering plants you are also providing important nectar sources for local pollinators.
Low Maintanence
Native plants require very little maintenance in order to thrive. Since native plants are already adapted to the environmental conditions in their ecosystems you don’t have to worry about watering often, amending your soil, fertilizing or covering your plants during freezing weather. The key is to choose native plants that are adapted to your local climate and ecosystems and they will thrive with very little care. Using native ground covers in place of your lawn will minimize mowing to a few times a year as well as eliminate the need to fertilize, water or use harsh herbicides and pesticides.
Conserves Water
Native plants have much deeper root systems than non-natives which allows them to capture and store more water from rainfall. As I mention earlier, because native plants are more adapted to the environment that they evolved in, many native plants are drought tolerant depending on the ecosystems that they are adapted to. Most established native plants require very little, if any extra watering.
Cleans the Air & Water
All plants are efficient at removing carbon dioxide from the air and converting it into oxygen but natives tend to do it a little more efficiently than non-natives. Since native plants usually have deeper roots, it allows them to capture and store more carbon than their non-native counterparts. A good example are native Oak trees, because of their large size and deep root systems, Oak trees are capable of storing vast amounts of carbon. Deep root systems also make native plants more efficient at cleaning and filtering water pollution from rainfall and runoff.
Reduced Fertilizer & Pesticide Use
Given that you have a balance ecosystem established in your landscape, in most cases native plants require little to no fertilizer or pesticides in order to thrive. They are already adapted to the native insects and soil in your landscape, therefore they do not require extra nutrients or pest control.
Adapted to Local Environmental Conditions
As I mention previously, native plants have co-evolved with their natural ecosystems thus making them more adapted to the local environmental conditions. By choosing species that are adapted to your region, you don’t have to worry about covering plants during freezing weather or watering during droughts. Native plants are also better adapted to storms in their environment. For example, if you live in Florida such as myself, you can lessen your chances of a tree falling over during a hurricane because native trees will be adapted to withstand the harsh conditions of an intense storm.
Saves Money
Since native plants require less fertilizing, pesticide use, maintenance and water it will save you money in the long run by creating a native landscape.
Avoids the Introduction of Invasive Plants
So many invasive plants have been introduced into local ecosystems wrecking havoc on the plants and animals that live there making it the second leading cause of biodiversity loss. Every invasive plant was once thought to not be an issue until it escaped the confinement of gardens and started naturalizing in local ecosystems. By planting native you avoid the risk of introducing any new exotic plants that may end up posing a threat in the future. Unfortunately we do not know what impacts an introduced plant may have until it is too late.
Preserves Local Ecosystems
More and more unique ecosystems are being lost everyday to the never ending expansion of human development. This has resulted in the disappearance of more than 69% of the world’s biodiversity since 1970 according to the 2022 living planet report and sadly these numbers are still growing. By planting native plants local to your region you will be able to preserve the natural ecosystems in your area. People with any amount of soil to plant in, big or small, are the key to expanding wildlife habitats and increasing biodiversity.
Beauty Berry is a beautiful native shrub that provides food for birds and other wildlife.
Where to source native plants
There are native plant nurseries popping up everywhere as native plants become more and more popular. Search online for local nurseries and check out your local native plant society. Your local native plant society is a great resource to help you find the native plants you are looking for and they will be able to help you answer any questions that you may have. Another great way to get native plants is through online seed companies. There are a few seed companies online that specialize in and sell native plant seeds.
how to use them in the landscape
You can incorporate native plants into your landscape in various ways:
Create themed gardens such as:
Butterfly gardens
Pollinator gardens
Bird gardens
Xeriscape gardens
Rain gardens
Container gardens
Recreate your local ecosystem
Incorporate native plants into existing flower beds and along borders
Add native plants to your edible gardens as beneficial plants
Resources
Audubon’s Native Plant Database is a great resource for finding plants native to your region. You can also find a list of the most beneficial natives that will have the greatest impact on the biodiversity in your landscape. This is a helpful tool if you have a small space and want to plant natives that will have the greatest benefit.
Every state and region should have their own Native Plant Society. Your NPS is a valuable resource that will help answer any questions that you may have as well as help you source your native plants.
Homegrown National Park is a project that was founded by Doug Tallamy and Michelle Alfandari. The project was founded with a mission to regenerate biodiversity and ecosystem function and it encourages anyone who has some soil to plant in, to plant a habitat and get on the Homegrown National Park map. Homegrown National Park is a great resource where you can find tons of valuable information on things such as native landscape design, help sourcing native plants, native plant organizations and landscapers and so much more.
Books
Below are books that I have found both valuable and inspiring in my journey with native plants. These books are a wealth of information that will help you better understand the importance of native plants and how to use them in your landscape as well as why our connection with nature is so important.
“Nature’s Best Hope” | Doug Tallamy
“Bringing Nature Home” | Doug Tallamy
“Nature of Oaks” | Doug Tallamy
“The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden” | Rick Darke & Doug Tallamy
“The Humane Gardener” | Nancy Lawson
“Braiding Sweetgrass” | Robin Wall Kimmerer
Conclusion
The U.S. alone has 40 million acres of privately owned lawns, if everyone did their part and planted native plants then we can help to expand our natural ecosystems and increase our biodiversity. Whether you plant your entire landscape with natives or add just a few native plants to some containers on your patio, it is up to everyone to plant native in order to regenerate biodiversity and regenerate ecosystem function.
I hope that this post encourages you to plant more natives in your landscape! If you found this information valuable please share the love by sharing or pinning this post! Also, feel free to leave any questions in the comments below! Happy planting!
