The Importance of Using Native Plants in Suburban Gardens & Landscapes

Why Do Native Plants Matter? Native species have an evolutionary history together. Through time certain balances have been formed among the native species; especially with regard to:

  • Predators
  • Food sources
  • Competitors
  • Cooperative relationships
  • Food webs
  • Physical effects on the environment

The native community does not have this balance with the invading species. Often there are few or no natural controls to prevent establishment of the invader. This can have serious consequences for the native species: loss of habitat & food supplies and vanishing native species of plants and animals. In the US there are about 25,000 non-native species (1/5-1/3 of total plant species).

Examples of exotic plants that are aggressively and successfully outcompeting natives in our local environment are Japanese Barberry, Oriental Bittersweet, Purple loosestrife and Winged Euonymus.

Invasive species negatively impact the environment resulting with:

  • Loss of native species diversity
  • Loss of ecosystem functions & services
  • Put native species at risk of extinction
  • Change in physical environment

Best Native Woody and Perennial Plant Genera

The following is a list of 20 of the best native woody and perennial plant genera for supporting biodiversity in East Coast suburban landscapes:

Woody plants

  • Oaks (Quercus)
  • Cherries and Plums (Prunus)
  • Willows (Salix)
  • Birches (Betula)
  • Poplars (Populus)
  • Crabapples (Malus)
  • Blueberries (Vacinnium)
  • Maples (Acer)
  • Elms (Ulmus)
  • Pines (Pinus)
  • Hickories (Carya)
  • Hawthorns (Crateagus)
  • Alders (Alnus)
  • Ashes (Fraxinus)
  • Basswood (Tilia)
  • Black Walnut (Juglans)
  • American Chestnut (Castanea)
  • Native Roses (Rosa)
  • Hazelnuts (Corylus)
  • American Beech (Fagus)

Perennials

  • Blackberries and Raspberries (Rubus spp.)
  • Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
  • Asters (Aster spp.)
  • Sunflowers (Helianthus spp.)
  • Joe Pye weed, Boneset (Eupatorium spp.)
  • Morning Glory (Ipomoea)
  • Sedges (Carex spp.)
  • Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
  • Violets (Viola spp.)
  • Native Geraniums (Geranium spp.)
  • Black- eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp.)
  • Iris (Iris spp.)
  • Evening primrose (Oenothera)
  • Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
  • Verbena (Verbena spp.)
  • Beardtongue (Penstemon spp.)
  • Native Phlox (Phlox spp.)
  • Bee Balm (Monarda spp.)
  • Veronica (Veronica spp.)
  • Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Wild-Collected plants: A Conservation issue

Wildflowers and other native plants are enjoying renewed interest and popularity. Some unscrupulous nurseries are digging plants up in the wild and offering them for sale. Some of these plants are endangered and their sale is often illegal. Reputable nurseries propagate the wildflowers and other native plants they sell. As responsible gardeners we should buy only nursery-propagated plants. Here are some ways to tell the difference:

  • Beware of the phrase ‘nursery-grown.” It doesn’t necessarily mean that a plant is nursery-propagated; instead, it may have been collected, then grown on in the nursery for a season or two.
  • Wildflowers that take a long time to propagate, like trilliums, trout lilies, and other spring woodland wildflowers, are often wild-collected. Don’t buy them unless you’re sure they’re nursery-propagated.
  • You should expect to pay the same price for a nursery-propagated wildflower as you would for any other perennial; beware of inexpensive plants or quantity discounts on wildflowers.
  • Don’t buy wildflowers that look like they were just dug from the ground and stuck in pots. Watch for battered or wilted leaves and plants that are too big for their pots but not potbound.