Native plants can simplify yard work

Just because a plant has been growing here for as long as anyone can remember doesn't mean it's a native species.

Native plants are those found naturally in a specific region that began growing there without being introduced directly or indirectly by humans. A region can be as small as a locality, or as large as several states.

The closer plants are to the habitat they originally grew in -- usually before settlers arrived -- the more adapted they are to growing in conditions where you live.

Native plants are essential to the intricate web of life that includes birds, animals and beneficial insects, and important organisms living in native soils. This natural community evolved together over a long period of time, and each member depends on this ecosystem to provide it both with habitat in which to live, and food or nutrients to survive.

Invasive species, often non-native plants that are not a natural part of this community, can severely disrupt and often overwhelm an ecosystem's delicate balance of life.

Without natural checks and balances, they can grow so rampantly they choke out native plants. The unfortunate result is less biodiversity, and an ecosystem in need of restoration.

Development also has had a negative impact on ecosystems, causing native habitats to become fragmented, making it harder for birds to migrate, bees to pollinate and wildlife to survive.

Growing awareness of changes in the environment has many home gardeners reconsidering the benefits of landscaping with native plants. Native Midwestern plants have adapted to our harshest winters, tolerate droughts, and flourish in local soils. Once established, they usually need less supplemental water and fertilizer, if any at all.

Native plants growing in native habitats encounter less stress, which usually means fewer pest and disease problems. This results in less time and money spent maintaining plants, and fewer garden chemicals added to the environment. Because plants are long-lived, they are better able to store carbon long-term, helping to mitigate the impact of global warming.

Because a plant is a Midwestern native doesn't mean it will be happy growing just anywhere. Some are native to the dappled sunlight of woodlands, others to the sun-drenched prairies. Many play special roles in wetlands.

Each of these habitats offers different soils. When using native plants in your garden, the best results occur when plants are matched to the sun and soil conditions it has (or had) in a native home.

Growing native plants in home landscapes helps to replace what's been lost to development and encourages plant diversity. Native plants also provide us with an important sense of place. They're a living connection to our past, and a hopeful way to grow a greener future, one plant at a time.

For more information on selecting native plants, visit www.bestplants.org or call the Chicago Botanic Garden's Plant Information Service at (847) 835-0972.