Native Plants
Native plants are crucial to a balanced, healthy ecosystem.
What are native plants?
Native plants are plants that are indigenous to an area or region. If it has occurred naturally in that region, it is considered a native plant. Exotic plants are not native to an ecosystem but have been brought there by humans, wind, or other means. In the United States, each region has its own native plants, and even small areas in each state have their own native plants. There are around 18,000 native plant species in the United States alone.
There are many other types of plants that you should be aware of such as invasive, endemic, and host plants.
Why are native plants important?
Native plants help the environment the most when planted in places that match their growing requirements. They will thrive in the soils, moisture, and weather of your region. That means less supplemental watering, which can be wasteful, and pest problems that require toxic chemicals. Native plants also assist in managing rainwater runoff and maintaining healthy soil as their root systems are deep and keep soil from being compacted. They are crucial to an ecosystem, especially when planted in places that match their requirements for growing.
Native plants are also important because they are a major food source for insects. Non-natives cannot serve as host plants to native insects, and they do not co-evolve with each other. As more and more non-natives are planted, insects will lose their primary food sources. Birds eat these insects, and if the insects die out, then the birds will lose their food source as well. By planting natives, we can help keep the insect and bird populations thriving.
How can we plant native plants?
Find local native plants
Find them by state
Read books about native plants
National Wildlife Federation (NWF) plant finder
Find a native plant society in your state
Plant them!
