Going Native

Have you noticed that traveling is easier these days although far less interesting? While it’s nice to know that you will be able to eat at your favorite restaurant chain pretty much anywhere you go or run into your favorite chain store to pick up the forgotten item, it has also made traveling to new places less interesting. Why go to a tropical island so that you can try mangos and papayas when you can get them right here in your grocery store at home? Longing for the candy you could only find in the remote town in Idaho? Well, hop on the internet and it will be at your door before you know it.The same is true of gardens and plants. We can have hibiscus in our pool gardens and birds of paradise with palm trees for a season. We can make our gardens look like they came from anywhere in the world with the right amount of work and maintenance. But what is all of this doing to our ecology and how is it affecting our home’s economy? There’s a new trend towards using native plants in our gardens and there are many great arguments for doing so.

Advantages of native plants: roots of a plant such as a conifer or an orchid, in which the plant's mineral absorption is enhanced and the fungus obtains nutrients) with plants, invertebrates with woody debris, pollinators with flowers, and birds with structural habitat that can only be rebuilt by planting native plants. Using native plants to restore the landscape or as a substitute for exotic ornamental plantings can help to reverse the trend of species loss. Although the methods may differ, native plants require the same level of care in installation and establishment as do ornamental plants. However, in the long run, natives will, form self-sustaining plant communities that do not require much maintenance. Because they are adapted to a local region, they tend to resist damage from freezing, drought, common diseases, and herbivores if planted in that same local region.

add beauty to the landscape and preserve our natural heritageNative plant species provide the keystone elements for ecosystem restoration. Native plants help to increase the local population of native plant species, providing numerous benefits. There are specific associations of mycorrhizae (a mutually beneficial association of a fungus and the

• provide food and habitat for native wildlife
• serve as an important genetic resource for future food crops or other plant-derived products
• help slow down the spread of fire by staying greener longer
• decrease the amount of water needed for landscape maintenance
• require very little long-term maintenance if they are properly planted and established
• produce long root systems to hold soil in place
• protect water quality by controlling soil erosion and moderating floods and droughts

So it seems there are many advantages to having a garden that is indigenous to our area and we might find that our guests like seeing a vibrant and healthy local garden in its natural setting. Don’t you miss the days where traveling meant you had to try something new? It brings out the adventurer in all of us. Shall we give others the same treat when they visit us here?

If you would like more information on native plants for your area and non-native plants that can be destructive, check out this link from the University of Maryland and then call us if you have any questions.

http://mastergardener.umd.edu/files/NativePlantsofMDFeb%2005.pdf