Native plants require far less water, save time, money and should be a part of your landscape plans if you are serious about conservation. Native plants
adapted to the climate and soil conditions of your area and as a result, need fewer inputs like water and fertilizer. They are also more resistant
to local pests. This means they thrive in your yard and you spend less time tending to them. This happens without taking beauty out of the equation.
Some of the most beautiful landscapes around are made up of all or a majority of native plants.
Helping Slow Climate Change
Native trees like oaks and maples store carbon dioxide, one of the primary greenhouse gases. Native plants root structure dives deep into the soil. This
root structure allows the native plants to remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. An additional way they help is by reducing fossil fuel use
in lawnmowers and maintenance trucks needed to maintain landscapes. They reduce noise and carbon pollution from lawn mower exhaust as well.
How Do I Find Native Plants For Where I Live
Different native plants grow in different zones. Each zone has seasonal variations depending on water availability. Some natives grow in more than
one zone. Thanks to a few great websites selecting plants for your landscape or project is easy. To start a simple Google search for term native
plants for (your location) often yields excellent results. You can also use https://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/communities to see all the plant communities of California and some beautiful photos provide ideas of how they fit in your landscape. This website http://www.plantnative.org/nd_ca.htm provides a list of nurseries selling native plants in California.
There Is A National Native Seed Strategy
The National Seed Strategy is a collaboration of 12 federal agencies led by the Bureau of Land Management. They promote the use of native plants for
conservation and restoration. They believe the use of native plant material in conservation, restoration, and land management results in healthy
ecosystems countering the effects of invasive plant species, altered wildfire regimes, extreme weather events and human-caused events. You can
read the National Seed Strategy here. https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/Native_Plant_Materials/documents/SeedStrategy081215.pdf
Pollinators
When you garden with native plants and avoid insecticides, you create a pollinator-friendly landscape curbing pollinator decline. Planting
a variety of flowering native plants that flower throughout the year attract and support pollinators all year long.
Monarch Butterfly
Milkweed is the only plant monarch caterpillars can eat. Many gardeners are growing milkweed today to support monarch butterflies. In this
Native Milkweeds guide http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/xerces-nrcs-california-milkweed-guide.pdf you learn not all milkweeds are beneficial to monarch butterflies.
Monarch butterfly number plummeted over the past 20 years due to the expansion of homes and clear-cutting of natural landscapes. The good news
are their numbers increased in the past couple of years due to efforts by gardeners and organizations like The National Wildlife Federation?
Hopefully, this quick guide provides some inspiration for you to plant natives. At a minimum maybe you research native plants more and learn about
the amazing ways they enhance your gardens, wildlife habitats, and restoration areas. I’m sure many of you have experience with native plants,
and we would love it if you would share them in the comment area. If you enjoyed this article, please consider subscribing to the blog or following
me on twitter @H2oTrends.