Environment Alert: Planting Native Species

I was raised by an arborist.  For those of you who may not know what that is, it is a professional who has taken courses and been trained in all aspects of caring for trees.  It's really a very interesting career, and I have learned a lot watching my dad. Now, he and my husband work together doing the tree business and lots of landscaping.

There is this one issue that it seems keeps coming up and needs some public awareness.  It seems that a lot of the plants we typically use in our landscapes are not native to the area.  This applies to many areas, but I am familiar with ours, of course.  Please check with your local nurseryman if you have any questions pertaining to your home area.

In any case, the use of these invasive species (not native to the area) is having a profound effect on our local ecosystems.  The introduction of these plants can often overrun a more delicate local variety, and they are disappearing quickly.  They may, and often do, also introduce foreign parasites.  This is the reason for the decline of many once mighty types of trees in the area, as well as some other plants.

For example, did you know that the monarch butterfly lays its eggs and the caterpillars feast exclusively on milkweed plants?  These plants are being edged out by other marshy plants that are invasive, thus also reducing the numbers of monarchs in the area.  This is just one example of a little thing that is making a big difference.

If we can each take a look at what we are planting and encouraging, we could really make a difference.  If the public refuses to buy the unsound invasive species and instead demands that nurseries stock good, native plants, we could see a rebound in native populations.  It took us a long time to get here and we may never be able to get rid of those species that have already spread beyond control and those pests that have made their way into our ecosystems, but we can prevent any further damage.

Gardening with native plants can be just as fulfilling as gardening in a more traditional sense.  The people that I know that take the time to build native gardens are very happy and proud of their accomplishment, and you will be too.  Be a trend setter!  Go native!