The Importance of Native Plants
Why native plants? Why not native plants?!
Native plants are plants that naturally occur in your area. They are adapted to the local precipitation and soil conditions of the area. They don’t need artificial fertilizers or pesticides. They don’t require a lot of fuss and upkeep therefore saving you time, money, water, and the environment. What could be easier than that? Native plants are also important because they support pollinators and since 75% of our food crops rely on pollinators for pollination, I’d have to say that pollinators are pretty important! I can’t imagine a world without fruits, vegetables, and chocolate…or coffee!
Orange Coneflower, rudbekia fulgida
Many of the bushes and trees that came with our house, or were added when we had it landscaped, are non-native. What is wrong with these you ask? Many non-native plants are also invasive. They escape into the wild, crowd out native plants, and threaten the entire ecosystem. Native, local insects have evolved to eat native plants. When native plants aren’t around, the insects starve because they can’t eat the non-native and invasive plants. In turn, this threatens our wildlife all the way through the food chain. Sadly, nurseries still sell these invasives, think Bradford Pear, — without so much as a warning label.
For me the most important reason to use native plants in my yard is to help save the wildlife. Birds, bees, butterflies, and moths absolutely must have native plants to survive. Native plants provide nourishing food in the form of seeds, nuts, and fruit that wild birds require. They also support hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators by providing the nectar they need. Natives host many species of insects, especially moth and butterfly caterpillars, that baby birds need to live. Did you know to raise one nest of chickadee babies, the parents must find up to 9,000 caterpillars to feed them? Native oak trees host caterpillars of almost 500 butterfly and moth species! The non-native ginkgo tree hosts only 5. I know not everyone can have an oak tree in their yard, sadly I cannot either. So instead I have decided to fill my yard with as many native plants and bushes as possible.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on Stokes’ Aster, Stokesia laevis
Our yards, our neighborhood parks, even the flower beds at our local shopping centers, schools, and churches matter to wildlife! No matter where you live or how much space you have to garden with; native plants can help wildlife. With just a few careful plant choices, you can create a haven for birds, butterflies and other pollinators in your own space, one that provides the food and shelter that wildlife needs to survive. No native plants, no birds, bees, moths, or butterflies.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on Butterfly Milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa (not Butterfly Bush which is non-native)
Don’t have a big yard? Don’t worry! There are natives that do well in container gardens. Here is a link to Doug Tallamy’s Homegrown National Park website’s Container Gardening with Keystone Plants. Just click on our region and you will be taken to a list of great native keystone choices for containers.
Here is a list of some of my favorite flowering native plants:
Goldenrods - late bloomers that provide fall nectar for butterflies, especially southern migrating monarchs. Goldenrods like full to partial sun. Look for Showy Goldenrod, or solidago speciosa. That goldenrods cause hay fever is just an old wives tale. Seems to be deer resistant.
Asters - another late bloomer providing a nectar source into fall. Asters like full to partial sun. Look for New England Asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) or Late Purple Aster (Symphyotrichum patens). Stokes’ Asters (Stokesia laevis) are fairly deer resistant.
NATIVE sunflowers such as Narrow-leaf Sunflower also known as Swamp Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius) They like full to partial sun.
Wild Blue Indigo (baptisia australis) and False Indigo (Baptisia albescens) Both enjoy full sun to partial shade. Wonderful host plants for butterflies. False Indigo is deer resistant.
Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) enjoys full sun to partial shade. An early bloomer
Bee Balms: Scarlet Bee Balm (Monarda didyma), a favorite of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, and Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) attracts butterflies. Both enjoy full sun and are deer resistant.
Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida) attracts many pollinators. Enjoys full sun and is fairly deer resistant.
Purple Coneflower (echinacea purpurea) a favorite of many pollinators, birds even enjoy the seeds once the flower heads die off so leave them on. Deer resistant, heat, and humidity tolerant and drought tolerant once established. Can be grown in full sun to partial shade.
Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum incanum) Attracts many pollinators, be careful as it also attracts wasps. Enjoys full sun to partial shade.
Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum) easy to grow, enjoys full sun or partial shade. Attracts many pollinators. Deer resistant.
Milkweeds! There are about 16 species of milkweed that are native to North Carolina. The most well-known and easy-to-find species consist of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), and Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata). All of these enjoy full sun. Butterfly Weed is deer resistant.
NOTE: butterfly milkweed is NOT the same of the non-native and perhaps invasive butterfly bush( Buddleja) which is not beneficial for wildlife.
Some good choices if you are looking to add shrubs/bushes would be:
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Downy Arrowwood (Viburnum rafinesqueanum), Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), Pussy Willow (Salix discolor),or American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana).
Here is a list of some local native plant nurseries:
Here are some online nurseries I enjoy ordering from: Garden for Wildlife and Joyful Butterfly
Happy Gardening!
Your yard doesn’t have to be 100% natives, mine is not there yet! Think of your garden like this: the natives are the base, or cake, and most any flowering plants you add to it are the icing. It is ok to plant flowers like zinnias and cosmos, they are nectar sources for pollinators, just be sure to have the proper base. Just make sure they are not invasive!
Pictured above: Monarch caterpillar on milkweed, bee on smooth Blue Aster, Spicebush Swallowtail on Wild Bergamot, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird on Scarlet Bee Balm.
If you ever have any questions, please reach out via email and I will gladly try to help:
