Native Plants

Native plants grow naturally within a particular region, habitat, or ecosystem without the intervention of humans. They have formed symbiotic relationships with other native species over thousands of years and help stabilize the ecosystem.

Native Plants and Biodiversity

First, let’s define biodiversity: biodiversity is the variety of life on the earth, and native plants help to maintain that biodiversity. For more, check out What is Biodiversity?

Now, you might be wondering if non-native plants contribute to biodiversity. The answer is that they do, but only in their natural environment. If non-native plants are introduced into a new ecosystem, they do not have any natural predators to eat them. This allows them to grow rapidly, killing native plants and decreasing biodiversity. On the other hand, native plants are integrated into the ecosystem and feed a whole host of insects and animals. This maintains biodiversity and allows an ecosystem to thrive. 

Integrating Native Plants Into your Garden

  1. The first step to integrating native plants into your garden is to research what sort of plants you can grow. You must research what plants are native to your region carefully. For example, milkweed is a native plant to California, serving as food and a place to lay eggs for Monarch butterflies.

  2. After your research, remember to find a place to grow your native plants. This can be anywhere from a few pots on a balcony to a good section of your yard. 

  3. Start planting! 

  4. After planting, make sure to care for your plants. This is the key to success when planting any plant!

References: Unsplash, The Spruce, The National Wildlife Federation, UIUC, Garden Design