Native plants are easier to care for, provide food and shelter to wildlife, and help restore our ecosystem. We will explore the advantages of adding native plants to your garden in this article.
Native plants thrive in local climate conditions, and once established often need minimal watering or fertilizing compared to non-native varieties.
1. They Attract Pollinators
Native plants will bring pollinators, birds and bees into your yard by adapting to local soil, water, and weather conditions.
Planting large groups of flowers of similar types to make pollinators’ journeys simpler is key for their success, and leaving some areas such as bare ground, woody plant material or leaf litter as nesting spots is ideal.
2. They Attract Birds
Native plants will attract birds into your garden year-round by providing food sources like seeds, berries, nuts and nectar for them.
Trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials all provide cover and nesting sites for many species of birds.
3. They Attract Bees
Bees are important pollinators of flowers, making native plants an excellent place for them to pollinate. Some plants even feature nectar guides that make it easier for bees to find what they need.
These plants are an ideal option, as they have already adapted to your climate and soil conditions naturally, while being easy to care for with reduced maintenance needs and water requirements than many non-native varieties.
4. They Attract Butterflies
Butterflys are attracted to native plants, so adding these native species into your garden will attract butterflies back into your yard.
Butterflys love nectar-rich flowers with multiple blossoms to land upon, providing them with ample nectar sources and sturdy places to rest their wings. When searching for butterflies in flowerbeds with multiple blossoms that offer safe landing spots for butterflies.
Native flowers offer many advantages; one of the main ones being that they’re often tailored specifically to our region and won’t harm local ecosystems, providing vital pollen and nectar sources for both adult and larval butterflies alike.
5. They Attract Beneficial Insects
Attracting beneficial insects to your garden is an effective way to control pests. Beneficial insects can eat the eggs and larvae of pests, helping you use less chemical pesticides.
To attract beneficial insects into your garden, provide food, shelter and an area where they can lay their eggs. Native plants offer all three – they provide sustenance, shelter and an ideal place for them to lay their eggs!
6. They Attract Birds
Plantings that attract birds will transform your garden into an inviting sanctuary, providing food, cover and nesting sites.
Birds depend on native plants for food sources such as flowers, fruits, seeds and insects that feed them. These habitats also support an array of insect populations which provide essential habitat.
Non-native trees typically host only a few species of caterpillars; native oaks support over 500 different kinds! That means it takes as many as 6,000 caterpillars to raise one brood of chickadees!
7. They Attract Beetles
Native plants provide nesting and foraging opportunities for beetles, many of which are beneficial. Furthermore, these insects can help control garden pests like slugs and snails.
To draw insects to your garden, plant various flowers that attract specific bugs – for instance yarrow is an excellent source of nectar for ladybugs, hoverflies, green lacewings and predatory wasps.
8. They Attract Frogs
Native plants have co-evolved with wildlife over millennia to form mutualistic relationships that benefit both. Exotic species, however, often serve as invasive exotics that threaten native species by killing or crowding out their habitat.
Establishing frog-friendly gardens can be an excellent way to attract these amphibians and increase biodiversity in your garden. Here are some helpful tips to get you underway.
9. They Attract Spiders
Spiders are among the most powerful natural predators of insect pests that threaten beneficial insects, and spiders have proven themselves as powerful natural remedies against mosquitoes, aphids, caterpillars and other garden pests. They can devour mosquitoes, aphids and caterpillars without suffering themselves!
Plants native to your region will attract spiders into your garden and provide a perfect place for them to build webs and hide from predators.
10. They Attract Other Animals
Native plants attract various animals. Their flowers provide food for hummingbirds and butterflies, while their seeds and berries provide essential sustenance for birds.
Plants attract beneficial insects like ladybugs and predatory wasps that prey upon pests, providing an effective natural alternative to chemical-based pesticides.
