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| Photo Credit: Stepanie Avett |
| A tiger swallowtail visits the colorful blooms of New York ironweed. |
Gardening with native plants is getting more and more press, but what’s all the hype about? Let’s start by answering the question: “What is a ‘native’ plant?”
In North America, a native plant is generally considered to be a plant that was already growing on this continent prior to European settlement. They are plants that grew here naturally, without human introduction from other places. Hiking is a great way to spot native plants in their natural habitat, but there are three reasons why native plants are good prospects for the home garden, too. 1. Natives are low-maintenance. I love to garden, but I don’t have a lot of time after work to spend tending to my back yard. When I do go out there, I’d rather be pulling a few weeds, propping up plants and enjoying the flowers as opposed to begging my plants to grow in my heavy clay soil. Lucky for us, plants native to a specific area already like to grow in that specific area. Having “grown up” there, they’ve adapted to the local conditions over thousands of years, leaving them strong and hardy enough to survive winter chill, summer heat, drought conditions and poor soil. And once established, native plants have minimal irrigation and fertilization needs. Not only are natives well-familiar with the physical conditions of an area, they’re used to the pests and diseases of an area as well. As a result, they’ve adapted natural defenses to resist most native pests and diseases, decreasing the need for harmful pesticides. If it’s hard to find the time for fertilizing, watering or “medicating” – go native!
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