Benefits to Planting Native
It’s for you, the wildlife, and the environment.
by Zach Murray
North America is host to a vast variety of beautiful and useful native
plants. Here in New York’s Hudson Valley, we are lucky to see an abundance of
these native plants covering our landscape—from tall trees to showy wildflowers
and perennials.
Although it can be exciting to introduce exotic plants into our
environment at home and watch the colors spread, many of these plants can prove
to be invasive, quickly covering the land where our native plants should grow.
An example of this is the Japanese Barberry, which is native to Asia. However,
it is also grown in the more temperate regions of North America. The plant is
usually grown for its brilliant purple color and ornamental qualities, but
there are negative effects of the plant’s introduction to our area. Japanese
Barberry is deer resistant and therefore has an advantage over certain native
New York plants that do attract deer. It is also known to raise the pH of the
soil and affect its surrounding plants. The cultivation of Japanese Barberry is
even illegal in Canada!
Another popular, yet non-native plant is the Multiflora Rose. Originally
introduced from Asia for the purpose of soil conservation around grazing areas,
it has now come to be considered an invasive plant in North America. Though
useful in soil conservation, the Multiflora Rose grows and spreads rapidly and
readily invades the woodlands, forest borders, and fields that it was meant to
protect.
Many similar problems can be avoided by the propagation and cultivation
of native plants. Our native plants possess much of the beauty and variety
found in exotics, but these are not the only benefits of native gardening.
When first planning a garden, time and money are two main factors.
Native gardening is a great way to cut down on both of these. Caring for a
prolific garden can prove to be more time consuming than expected in the
beginning of a season. Native plants are already adapted to local conditions and
do not need as much care to become well established in a home garden as plants
that are introduced from elsewhere. This helps to reduce the maintenance and
funds necessary to keep up with your garden’s growth. Once established, native
plants will need less fertilizer and water than exotic plants. This helps to
establish a more environmentally friendly garden than one requiring more
additives as well as cutting down on the costs of fertilizers.
Wildlife is another important factor in gardening. The cultivation of
native plants in a garden may ensure the attraction of local honeybees,
butterflies, and hummingbirds that will benefit both the garden and the life it
attracts.
So, what natives can grow well in a home garden? There are many
different kinds all over the Wallkill and Rondout valleys. One local and
abundant plant is the Highbush blueberry. These can be seen on a summer hike
along the rivers of Minnewaska State Park. On your drive, be sure to keep an
eye open for the native Goldenrod decorating the roadsides. Blueberries can be
cultivated in one’s home garden for delicious summer harvests (and freezing for
winter). Mountain laurel and rhododendron are great choices for bringing color
into a woody landscape. For a native and wildlife attracting perennial garden,
consider Black-eyed Susans, Bleeding hearts, or Garden phlox, among others.
For a promising and environmentally friendly home garden, remember the
benefits of planting native. Visit garden centers like Catskill Native Nursery
in Kerhonkson (845-626-2758) throughout the growing season to see what’s
blooming. This will provide you with a home garden that blooms, or provides
fruit, for months.
Posted by Chris Hewitt
on 5:28 PM.
Filed under
Biodiversity,
Environment,
Feature,
wild edibles
.
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