Native Plants: Why Are They Important?

As we enter the month of May, I hope that many of you have been able to enjoy the outdoors a bit, particularly if you are into gardening. One important aspect of gardening that I have learned over the past few years is the addition of native plants to my yard, including the milkweed that was mentioned a few weeks ago.

I wrote on the topic of native plants a few years ago in my Green Mondays blog, but I think it is a topic worth repeating here. There are a lot of benefits of planting native. Due to the fact that they are accustomed to the local climate and potential predators that may want to feed on them, native plants are generally easier to grow and tend to be more resistant to our deer, rabbits, and other wildlife. Even better, despite being resistant to some, they are beneficial to a host of wildlife, especially birds. Many native trees, shrubs, and flowers will support a large number of caterpillars. In fact, native plants on average support about 35 times as many caterpillars as non-native plants. Did you know that an adult chickadee bird needs to catch approximately 100 to 150 caterpillars to feed a single finch-sized baby bird after they hatch and until they are able to leave the nest? As such, these birds are going to search for places where they can find sufficient caterpillars, and planting native plants is a great way to fulfill this need and thus attract many birds to your yard. Native trees that are especially good at supporting caterpillars include oak, cherry, willow, birch, and poplar. Other types of caterpillar-friendly native plants you might consider are goldenrods and asters. Additional information on this topic can be found in the following video.

To find out which native plants may be good alternatives where you live, the National Audubon Society and National Wildlife Federation websites are great places to start. Another good website to visit if you are interested in purchasing native trees and shrubs is the Arbor Day Foundation. My family has purchased several plants from them at very reasonable prices (many were only $9.99 each).

Objective

Consider planting a native tree or shrub on your property. Local nurseries typically have sections devoted to native plants. Also, some states may have a coupon you can use to support native plants (e.g., Maryland -https://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/Pages/MarylandersPlantTrees/Print-Your-Coupon.aspx).