By Frank Gallo
There is a growing movement towards the planting of native plants in gardens instead of using non-natives, and a mounting push towards the removal of invasive species. But, why bother?
Consider the importance of biodiversity and the potential for introduced non-native species to wreak havoc on the environment. Like a balanced portfolio, biodiversity provides stability and balance, whereas non-native plant species often provide little value to local wildlife (See my April 28th article). Their leaves contain compounds that are frequently not digestible or even toxic to our local insects which are critical to a healthy ecosystem. The toxins kill them outright or prevent them from reproducing. Reducing insect diversity causes a ripple effect up the food chain. Limiting insect diversity then limits available food for local birds and other organisms. Non-native plants also compete for water, nutrients, and space with native species. All too often, lacking any local biological controls, they become invasive, taking over habitats, crowding out native plants, and limiting diversity.
So, how can you help to increase biodiversity in your yard? Doug Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home, The Nature of Oaks, and co-author of The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden, and many other publications on native landscape design, advocates for reducing lawns and replacing them with more native plants to support local wildlife and to help maintain and increase biodiversity and ecological health. His work has inspired many to create “Homegrown National Parks” to restore native habitats and combat local declines in habitat loss.
The good news is that you don’t have to replace the entire lawn with natives to make a positive impact. Even small-scale native plantings can see positive change. Creating one small native garden or section of the garden makes a difference. By providing native trees, shrubs, grasses and/or wildflowers you create habitat, food, shelter, and breeding sites for everything from butterflies to birds, foxes to frogs.
Another plus to using natives is that once established, they are generally more cost effective, requiring significantly less attention and care than non-natives. If everyone took even small sections of their lawns and replaced them with native gardens for butterflies and other pollinators, made a small wildflower or shrubland sanctuary, or just planted a few native oaks or cherries, think of the positive potential effects on local species.
If you are interested in adding native plants to your garden, here is a list of a few suggestions:
Trees
• Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis): A beautiful understory tree that provides fruit for wildlife. Wild Cherry (Prunis avium) has lovely white-pink blossoms, turns scarlet red in autumn, and provides abundant insects and fruit for wildlife. Use them to replace invasive Bradford or Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana).
• Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida): A classic spring-blooming favorite. Use it as a native replacement for non-native Kousa Dogwood (Benthamia kousa). There are also many native dogwood shrubs (Cornus sp.) that aid wildlife and make great hedgerow cover.
• Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), and Red Maple (Acer rubra): Both support native insects, birds and other wildlife. Their fall colors are spectacular. White Oak (Quercus alba): Connecticut’s state tree is a beautiful canopy tree that is a leader in supporting birdlife. Use any of these trees instead of the invasive non-native Norway Maples (Acer pseudoplatanus) and all of its cultivars.
Shrubs & Vines
• Northern Spicebush (Lindera benzoin): Features fragrant leaves and early-spring yellow blooms. Use it as a vibrant native replacement for Forsythia.
• Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia): An incredibly fragrant, summer-blooming shrub. Use it to replace invasive Winged Euonymus or Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus).
• Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum): Offers white spring flowers and blue fall fruit. Northern Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum): Provides abundant summer fruit that is relished by wildlife and humans alike. Both turn a vibrant red in fall. Use either in place of Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) which provides a microclimate conducive to deer (black-legged) ticks.
• American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens): A well-behaved, gorgeous native vine. Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens): Is another lovely native vine that produces flowers attractive to hummingbirds and fruits eaten by other birds. Swap these for aggressive Japanese/Chinese Wisterias (Wisteria floribunda/W. sinensis).
Wildflowers
• Wild Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis): A spring bloomer that attracts hummingbirds. Use it instead of non-native Columbine cultivars.
• Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis): Features tall, ruby-red spikes in wet, sunny areas. New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis): Moisture tolerant, it can grow to 6 feet and present abundant deep-purple flowers. Use them to replace invasive Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria).
• Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa): A drought-tolerant milkweed with striking orange blooms. Use it instead of non-native and potentially invasive Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii). Although attractive to butterflies, Buddleja provides a sugary treat offering little in the way of real nutrition.
• Native Sunflowers (Helianthus sps.): Attractive to a variety of pollinators and birds.
A more comprehensive list of native plants and local resources will be available on The New Canaan Nature Center’s webpage at: www.newcanaannature.org.
The Connecticut DEEP Native Landscaping Guide also offers suggestions for locally-suited plants and local nursery resources: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DEEP/wildlife/pdf_files/outreach/NativeLandscapingpdf.pdf
Remember, plants need specific growing conditions. It’s important to have your soil tested before committing to specific plantings. No matter how badly you want a plant in your garden, if the soil isn’t right, it won’t grow. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Stations in New Haven and Windsor offer free soil testing. They test organic matter, texture, a variety of soil nutrients, and PH. Consider soil moisture levels, as well. Visit: portal.ct.gov/CAES/Soil Office/ Soil Office/Soil Testing Offices Instructions, for more information.
And, when designing your garden, remember that all natives are not created equal. Some provide more food and resources for wildlife than others. Choosing more productive species will make a significant difference in the diversity you create in your yard. See Doug Tallamy’s work for specifics. In the case of trees, keep in mind that native oaks, cherries, and willows provide the greatest resources for wildlife.
Other Local Native Plant Resources
Menunkatuck Audubon Society helped to establish the community run UrbanScapes Native Plant Nursery in New Haven, propagates more than 1500 native perennials from plugs and 400 native shrubs to sell each year at: https://menunkatuck.org/plants-for-sale.
For more information on gardening with natives see the Connecticut Botanical Society’s Webpage: https://www.ct-botanical-society.org/gardening-with-natives/
The University of Connecticut offers lists of available native perennials, trees, and shrubs with links to local nurseries at: https://ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu/connecticut-native-perennial-tree-and-shrub-availability-list/
Native Plant Trust is another good resource: https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/for-your-garden/buy-native-plants-new/.
Earth Tones Native Plants in Woodbury has a nice variety of natives: https://www.earthtonesnatives.com/
Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants by Doug Tallamy is another good resource.
Frank Gallo is the Senior Naturalist at the New Canaan Nature Center located at 144 Oenoke Ridge, and the author of Birding in Connecticut – a comprehensive bird-finding site guide. He can be reached at Fgallo@newcanaannature.org. For more on the New Canaan Nature Center, visit www.NewCanaanNature.org.
