region, have lived in that area for generations and have developed a community. Local people dress, eat and live in ways suited to their environment, and so
do native plants. Native plants ‘house’ local pollinators, insects, birds and animals that have coevolved to create a local ecosystem.
Native plants are vigorous and hardy, so they can survive winter cold and summer heat. Once established, they require no irrigation or fertilization, and
they are resistant to most pests and diseases. The root systems of native plants are long and deep, which helps rainfall percolate into the soil, which
reduces erosion and runoff.
Joe-pye weed is
a native plant that attracts butterflies and bees.
Native plants are part of a balanced community that regulates itself; no one member of the food chain dominates another. Walk through a native forest. You
will see some leaves eaten by insects, but not entire trees. The checks and balances of the native ecosystem work splendidly.
Black willows are host plants
for Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Viceroy butterflies.
Stand on your front lawn. What do you hear? Maybe birds in a nearby tree or a bee as it flies by. The next time you take a walk along or
in a field filled with grasses and wildflowers, what do you hear? Buzzing and chirping and singing from a myriad of creatures that call that field
home. The area is full of life. It is healthy. That living, dynamic, beautiful ecosystem is what all gardeners want on their piece of ground.
An egret poses for a photo in the
wetland.
The forest, grassland, and wetland ecosystems are all native ecosystems in North America. Local native plant nurseries can provide you with native
plants to help you create or enhance your native landscape. With a healthy piece of ground, your work as a gardener becomes that much more
fulfilling. Yes, we joyfully take from the soil that which we sowed. But we are also giving back to the creatures we share this land with and for
those who will enjoy this piece of ground in years to come.
