The U.S. is a wildly diverse landscape.
They attracted the local pollinators and fed the local wildlifethe digested plants become seeds and the cycle starts again.
What are native plants?
Generally, native species are the plants that lived in a region before European settlement.
If plants are tuned to the environmental conditions, they require less support, like additional water or sheltering.
But a native fern requires none of those supports and would do just fine outside during the winter.
Why native plants are important
Its not just that native plants are tuned to the local environment.
Local wildlife is tuned and accustomed to those native plants, too.
They provide nectar for birds and bees, butterflies, batsall your local pollinators.
More pollination means more fruit production, which supports larger wildlife populations.
Theyre better suited to the soil, so they prevent erosion.
They dont require mowing, so they are responsible for less pollution.
TheNational Wildlife Federationoffers a Wildlife Habitat Certification program, which is supported by volunteers.
Certification is a multi-step process that starts with someone coming to evaluate your yard.
There are also resource sites likeHome Grown National Parkthat can help locate nurseries that support native plant sales.
For a long time, I didnt think about natives because, well, I like tulips.
I liked my lemon tree that I toted inside and out every season.
I wanted to grow whatever I felt like.
Natives quickly took over because they were suited to the area.
