Native bee on Purple Coneflower
The interest in native plants around the country is driven by two concepts. First is the realization that using American native plants in residential and commercial landscaping is a patriotic act. People are beginning to ask why we fill our yards with plants from foreign lands when there are strong ecological reasons to select American plants.
The other reason native plants are so important is their benefit to all types of wildlife. Whether pollinators or the myriad other American insects, they all depend primarily on American native plants for survival. Native plants are the base of the food web feeding native insects that are then eaten by birds, lizards, frogs, spiders and on up the food web. The insect world provides abundant food for wildlife from songbirds to grizzly bears.
The underlying reason native plants are so important to native wildlife has to do with leaf chemistry. In general, native insects can only digest native plants. Over eons native insects have developed ways to handle toxins in native plants. In most cases, American insects cannot digest plant matter from other continents.
Pollinator Patch an integral part of the landscape for insects.
Most landscapes in our neighborhoods are 90% foreign (non-native) with only a few native trees such as live oak, pines, or dogwood. The great majority of plants making up hedges, foundation plantings or small trees are non-native and some, like Nandina, may be invasive.
Examples from China or Japan are azaleas, camellia, Loropetalum, boxwood, crape myrtle, Chinese fringe tree, Ligustrum, Drake elm, mimosa, loquat, and Taiwan cherry. The last five are invasive non-native plants that should not be planted due to their propensity to spread by their abundant seeds.
Azaleas and camellias are prized in the landscape for good reason. Not only are they beautiful, but they also do not spread into wild areas. In my yard I have a gorgeous Japanese magnolia, one male Podocarpus (does not produce berries like females do), and some azaleas and camellias all planted by the previous owner. We love them. Over time, however, we have removed all female Podocarpus, all Nandina, some azaleas and boxwood to make room for 46 species of native trees and shrubs, 37 species of wildflowers and 9 species of native vines and ferns. This represents a huge shift from non-native to native species in our yard. Twenty-eight years ago, 100 percent of the landscaping at our house except for the large trees in our yard were non-natïve. Now at least 90% of our plants are native.
Another important aspect of your landscape to consider is the reduction of lawn area. Eastern North American birds evolved in and with forests. To keep maintenance simple, remove a section of lawn, cover the soil with pine straw mulch and plant trees. Mulched areas under existing trees, rather than lawn, are needed to provide habitat for insects and other invertebrates. For example, a caterpillar high in an oak tree usually drops to the ground and hides in the oak leaf mulch to make its cocoon or chrysalis and turn into a moth or butterfly. It cannot do this if lawn is under the tree. It is sure death.
The shift to native in your yard can happen over time but will require a shift in attitude. You may have to alter your traditional sense of what a landscape should look like. Do not expect all plants to be evergreen. Give up your notions of perfection and a super neat and tidy trimmed look. Instead, ask yourself what will a plant do for songbirds or for pollinators? Will this plant feed caterpillars of swallowtail, monarch, or zebra longwing butterflies? What plants will provide nectar or pollen for sweat bees or pollinating flies or bumble bees? Does a plant like pokeweed support insects that songbirds will feed their young? Will it provide fruit for migrating birds? Can I plant a range of plants that will provide native berries for birds over several seasons?
Forested habitat is also good for insects and songbirds. Photo by Les Harrison
For pollinators, keep two factors in mind. First, 3,954 species of bees in North America make small burrows in the ground for nests and are not aggressive at all. For an example of this, see the video by googling tickle bees Portland on vimeo.
Secondly, remember that all types of plants on the planet, about 95%, need to be pollinated by insects to create the next generation of plants. This means not only pretty flowers like black-eyed Susan or sunflowers need pollinators but also shrubs like blueberries, American beautyberry, and wild azaleas. Also, most all our trees need native bees and other insects to pollinate flowers to make seeds. Dogwood, greybeard, redbud, magnolia, tupelo, and tulip poplar are examples. Locally oaks and pines are the two most common species of tree that use wind for pollination. Your pollinator plants can include trees, shrubs, wildflowers, as well as judiciously selected non-native annuals and perennials.
To provide berries for birds, try planting American beautyberry, arrowwood, hearts-a-bustin’, bluestem palmetto and pokeweed. Some of these plants will be planted in your yard for free by birds, and others can be purchased from nurseries. If the birds plant too many, weed them out and keep a few nice specimens. Keep in mind that by planting any of these native plants, whether wildflowers, shrub, or tree you are providing insects, quite often caterpillars, for your birds to eat.
All the above information and lots more can be found in Dr. Doug Tallamy’s two books, Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope. He reminds us that ninety-six percent of our land birds must feed their babies insects that live only on American native plants. His research shows that when a landscape dips below eighty percent native plants, the reproduction rate of Carolina chickadees declines.
Maturing beautyberries are currently offering stark contrast to their foliage. This native species, along with many others, are producing food for overwintering wildlife. Photo by Les Harrison.
You can help our native wildlife by just replacing a foreign species of tree with an American tree. By replacing “window dressing” landscaping with ecologically functional plants you can convert your yard to a functioning part of our ecosystem. You may need to put your personal preferences aside. No more flower colors to meet your personal preferences or to match the color of your front door or curtains in the house. Color choices will be based on what attracts pollinators. Some of the shrubs around your house may be bare in winter but will have produced nectar and pollen in spring and berries in autumn. Shrubs may not be neat and trimmed. Shift your attitude to favor nature! Start the process this fall or winter by planting an American tree rather than one from China or Japan. Go American! Go native!