Why Native Plants?

“In the U.S., “there are 50 million acres of lawn. Maintaining  all this turf requires trillions of gallons of water, 200 million gallons of fuel (for mowing), and 70 million pounds of pesticide each year.” -Wild Ones. All these inputs take a toll on both the environment and your budget!

Urbanization has taken an ecological impact on the land. As a result, our landscape no longer supports functioning ecosystems.  It’s essential that we restore native plant communities to preserve biodiversity.  By planting native plants in your garden, we can be part of the solution!

  “Native plants are the indigenous species that have evolved and occur naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, and habitat.” -US Forest Service

  Native plants have evolved and adapted to the local environment for thousands of years. They are an important part of our local habitat and perform important ecosystem services.  

 Benefits of using Native Plants

·      Native plants are sustainable and adapted to thrive in the our regions soils and weather conditions.

·      Native plants restore healthy, natural environments and create wildlife habitat.

·      Improved water quality. Since many natives are deep rooted,  they can slow down storm water, reduce erosion, and excess nutrient runoff.

·      Native plants pull carbon out of the atmosphere and fix it into soil for plant use.

·      Reduced maintenance! Native plants thrive in the natural environment. Outside of plant establishment, they require no additional water or fertilizer.

·      Little to no pest control needed for native plants. Many are deer resistant.

·      Native plants attract beneficial insects to the garden.

·      Native plants are an excellent source of food for pollinators.

·      Native plants reduce fire risk while invasive species increase fire risk.

  Research conducted by the National Audubon society reveal that native oak trees support more than 500 species of caterpillar ( an important food sources for birds), while introduced ginkgo trees from Asia support only 5 species. Alien species may be beautiful but do very little to support the local ecosystem. Incorporating native plants into your landscape can be part of the solution to restore biodiversity in our local ecosystem for future generations.

 Want to learn more or get involved?

MSU Extension - www.canr.msu.edu/nativeplants/plant_facts/local_info/index

Wild Ones – www.wildones.org

 List of Nurseries that grow native plants

www.wildoneslansing.weebly.com/nurseries-that-grow-native-plants.html

-April Hoard

Horticulturalist