Why Native?
Research has shown that native oak trees support over 500 species of caterpillars whereas ginkgos, a common landscape tree from Asia, host only 5 species of caterpillars. Since it takes over 6,000 caterpillars to raise one brood of chickadees (a north american bird species), supporting our native plants in turn supports the chickadees.**
Increased Biodiversity
Gardening with native species helps to sustain, foster, and grow our local wildlife populations. The concept is simple: native plants evolved with native animals; therefore native animals prefer the food from their local environment. When an outside species is introduced, say from Europe or Asia, the number of species that consume that plant drops drastically. By introducing species that minimize the diversity of wildlife fed, we are inevitably decreasing the overall wildlife population.
While many non-native plants can be beautiful, some escape cultivation due to their lack of competition and natural predators. They in turn outcompete local native plants, further decreasing wildlife populations, and can degrade natural habitats in the process.
Lower Maintenance
When we work with the Earth instead of against it, we tend to find less maintenance within our gardens. This is in big part due to keeping all of the systems properly working together. At first it may seem as if chaos is breaking loose within the gardens, but with time balance can be achieved. Each animal has its place just as each plant has its place.
When the plants, animals, and systems are working together properly, we will find a garden alive and healthy. Our time and energy in the garden will still be necessary, but it will be that of a steward, checking in on a mature garden, vs that of a controlling parent, forever guiding and assisting the rebellious garden.
Water Conservation
When we plant the right plant in the right place, we can ultimately lessen the amount of water that is used to care for and maintain the plant.
All plants have specific needs based off of where they evolved. While some can handle a wide range of soil and moisture conditions, others are very specific. Just like we would not plant an aquatic plant in the desert due to the amount of care it would need to survive, we also wouldn’t plant a cactus in a wetland.
Many of North Florida’s plants have evolved to withstand a wide range of moisture, from “very moist” to “moist to dry” areas. This is due in part to how low the elevation in Florida is and also how much rain we get.
When it comes to planting in the home landscape, planting native helps to ensure success of our plants with less watering due to the wide range of moisture levels many plants can handle. Using less water is not only good for the earth, but also good for our pockets!
Native Beauty
Native ecosystems are just as beautiful as those that we admire in other countries. While each is unique in its own way, the beauty comes from the way the systems work together: the fungi, plants, and wildlife that evolved together to create something beautiful.
When a piece of the system is missing, checks and balances within the system inevitably get off. We may begin to think that our native ecosystems or landscapes are less than beautiful, ranging more on the unruly side. To rebalance our system, we need to add back what has been taken.
Beauty in our native landscapes comes not just from the flowers and the smells, but from the life that lives among the flowers and smells.
The grasshopper, a lovely native insect to North Florida feed on grasses of all kinds, which North Florida is home to many. Where they thrive, birds such as the bluebird thrive, as grasshoppers can be a vital food source. In turn, birds of prey will thrive on smaller birds; a continuous cycle.
Switching to native plants is rewarding. There are many paths to take to reach a mature native garden that requires little maintenance on the gardeners part. Many times, this looks like less insecticides, less time, more patience, and some homegrown love. As the garden matures, you will begin to notice many plants may no longer need to be watered (unless excessive drought conditions arise), pruning is minimal, and your garden will have a natural, wild beauty to it.
Unfortunately, the current majority of plants sold in big box stores and even many local nurseries are not native to their local area. As consumers continually work to beautify their homes and businesses, most are left with little informed choices of what to buy. We each have the choice to be a part of this changing planet, for better or for worse. It’s time to take the knowledge we have gained and help be a positive part of the change.
If you are interested in going native but not sure how, let us help.
Sources:
Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemenway