10 Essential Benefits of Native Plants

The advantages of native plants begin with understanding what they are. Native plants evolved naturally in your own region of the world over thousands of years. They adapted to your soil, rainfall patterns, and climate completely without human assistance.

Urbanization has displaced more than 150 million acres of natural habitat across the United States. This destruction puts wildlife at risk and interrupts ecosystems. Planting native plants can help reverse this destruction in your own yard. You can be part of the solution.

You will find several benefits to using native plants: lower water and maintenance costs, birds and pollinators gain habitats as a result of your landscape, and you will contribute to the conservation of precious water resources. These plants do the work for you and contribute positively, both to your landscape and to the environments in which they are used.

Indigenous or native plants help combat climate change by removing carbon dioxide. For example, one mature oak tree can capture approximately 48 pounds of CO₂ per season, naturally and without special equipment, thereby helping to clean our air. Your landscaping choice can become a powerful environmental instrument.

You remove all man-made chemicals with native (non-invasive) plants. Standard lawns require herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers that can run off into waterways and pollute our water supply, as well as harm water-dependent plant and animal life. Native species require essentially zero chemicals because they evolved resistance to our local pests. This helps to keep groundwater and aquatic life from being polluted and serves a purpose in the food web.

Gas-powered lawn tools produce substantial pollution. A person maintaining a lawn of a quarter acre with a gas-powered lawn mower releases 48 pounds of CO₂ annually. In a landscaped yard with native vegetation, this emission source is completely removed. You will no longer contribute to noise pollution and will not have to pay for the gasoline to power your lawn equipment.

Plants that are indigenous to specific regions provide solutions to disturbances in those regions' environments. For example, some native California plants with deep roots can help reduce runoff from excessive rainfall and droughts. The native plants will receive the rainwater and replenish the aquifers. At the same time, non-native or exotic ornamentals allow water to escape. You can also have a watershed solution in your own garden.

Over the course of 20 years, you can expect to experience significant savings by installing and maintaining native plants compared to traditional landscaping. The annual maintenance expenses for native species come to only about $3,000 per acre. At the same time, traditional lawns are detailed at $20,000 per acre. The added expense for traditional landscaping is not worth the costs that continue to grow larger with each passing year.

Once your native plants become established, you'll notice a marked drop in your water bills. Expect to see budget reductions on the order of 60 - 90% because they can tap into natural groundwater through their deep roots. I stopped watering my California garden after just two years, and I conservatively estimate that I saved over $500 per year as a result. You'll see the same budget results fairly soon after the plants establish themselves.

With native landscapes, the amount of time spent on maintenance shrinks by about 75%. You trade weekly mowing for care better suited to the plants,pruning, for example, twice a year. My clients gain back, every summer, 30 hours previously spent maintaining their lawns. The time is available for family or leisure activities.

You eliminate the need to purchase pesticides and fertilizer. Many native plants will grow well on their own without chemicals, and you will save hundreds of dollars every year. I've watched gardens grow beautifully without the use of added chemicals. At the same time, many of my neighbors continue to struggle with pest control using chemical pesticides. You benefit both your local ecosystem and your budget immediately.

Convert your yard to a wildlife sanctum in very short periods of time. Monarch butterflies rely absolutely on native milkweed as a host for their existence. They cannot move through their stages and complete their life cycle without it. I have seen many, many butterflies navigate through caterpillars every summer on my milkweed patches. You will see this too.

The trees we select have an important impact on the support of wildlife. Native oak trees support over 500 species of caterpillars, while non-native ginkgos only support five. That is 100 times more food for young birds! My oak had birds feeding their chicks nonstop during the summer. Your selection of tree species will determine the richness of your habitat.

There is a very sharp increase in the diversity of pocket birds in native habitat, with the expectation of 10 times more species visiting your garden in comparison to manicured turf grass. Warblers, finches, and thrushes are birds that depend on native berries and insects to feed their young. I have counted 15 bird species in a managed native landscape, whereas my neighbors report seeing only two. You are an important wildlife corridor.

Little beings flourish in natural plants. Rabbits shelter in the tall prairie grass. Good insects suppress pests naturally and feed on low insects. My garden protects hedgehogs that burrow under ferns. These plants provide essential cover from predators and adverse weather conditions. Each native plant produces opportunities for survival.

Naturalized landscapes can significantly reduce your maintenance time. You will spend about only 30 hours a year, which is considerably fewer than the 120 hours needed for the traditional lawn. I got back the whole weekend once I switched to a natural landscape! My clients have stated that they have now regained that time for activities with family, or even to relax.

You eliminate any need for fertilizer and pesticides. Through thousands of years, native plants developed natural defenses against local pests. My garden flourishes without any chemical inputs, as my neighbors' lawns expend considerable resources battling pests. This not only cuts costs, but also protects good insects.

After they become established, their deep roots can reach depths of 15+ feet, so watering is unnecessary. The plants draw on groundwater that I never even see. My natives stayed green during last year's drought, while everything else turned brown. You will achieve self-sufficiency that conventional gardens can never attain.

Natural disease resistance enables plants to remain healthy without requiring any intervention. Native plant species evolved alongside locally occurring fungi and bacteria that were integral to their development and survival. I have never sprayed for mildew and did not need to, unlike my rose-growing neighbors. Your garden will become low-maintenance if you grow plants wisely. Plants that are breeders for natural adaptation can save you a lot of hassle.

After establishment, native plants will reduce your irrigation requirements by 60-90%. With deep roots, your plants will be able to access groundwater below the surface, eliminating the need for supplemental watering. My garden was able to survive a dry summer without the use of sprinklers, while my neighbors had to water every day. You can also expect to see dramatic savings on your water bill in as little as two growing seasons.

The root depth alone demonstrates this efficiency in water use. Native species have root systems that go 15+ feet deep. Turf grass roots are typically 3 feet deep. Native species have adapted and created root systems to search for moisture and tap into moist soils. I have plants that will remain lush and green during prolonged drought conditions while using absolutely no water at all.

When native landscapes are present, stormwater management is significantly improved. You can expect 40% less runoff when it rains heavily because deep roots will store rainfall. My garden helps save gardens from flooding that affects some properties down the street. You protect local waterways while replenishing local groundwater supplies.

Native plants within a region are well adapted to the local environmental conditions. For example, California native plants typically thrive in areas with about 12 inches of annual rainfall. The coastal garden I created now thrives without irrigation, thanks to the winter rain and fog. In that garden, I selected plants that had evolved to thrive in the local climate and soil.

Native plants offer advantages that can change your place. You contribute to environmental restoration while saving money and fostering wildlife habitats. By taking action with native plants, you are truly benefiting your garden and your planet.

Your personal space in your garden creates an impressive ripple effect. Your garden, along with others, will collectively create restorative spaces in our ecosystems at a neighborhood level. I have witnessed communities thrive with the blooming of native plantings. You are contributing to a living network that heals our ecosystems and nature.

This season, start your journey. Select 3-5 native species that are well-suited to the conditions of your yard. I began to see life return immediately with milkweed and coneflowers. You can choose to introduce this positive change today!

Picture opening the door to a living ecosystem, a natural habitat that you've developed through the collective decisions you've made. You can take pride in recognizing that your choices matter. You truly have the power to cultivate beauty and harmony right outside your front door.