Happy National Native Plants Month!

It's April, and that means it's National Native Plant Month! It's a relatively new addition to the calendar and was not fully adopted until 2024 when it was unanimously voted in. Since native plants are a big part of this blog, I thought this was a great opportunity to introduce the topic. A lot of this was news to me, as someone who hadn't really put much thought into native/non-native/invasive before. 

What Are Native Plants?

Believe it or not, there's some disagreement about what constitutes a "native" plant. Most people define it as a plant that existed in North America before the arrival of Europeans. However, as our understanding has evolved, we realize that Native Americans had highly developed trade routes that spanned entire continents well before we got here, and those trade routes often meant plants coming from different areas to new ones. 

A case in point is the Seminole pumpkin. It's been touted as "native" to Florida for a long time, but new research shows it actually comes from South America and, while it predates the arrival of Europeans, it did not evolve in this area, which is why you almost always find it growing under cultivation and not in the wild. Everglades tomatoes are another good example. Nope, not native. 

And some plants that are native have non-native ecotypes that can be found in other areas and that offer different colorations, shapes, forms, etc. A good example of this is tropical milkweed, which has made inroads throughout the US as people try to save Monarchs by planting their food source. The problem is that tropical milkweed is more susceptible to OE (ophryocystis elektroscirrha - a parasite that infects butterflies).

Maybe the best definition of a native plant comes from the NNPM organization. "One that has evolved over thousands of years in a specific geographic region, alongside local flora and fauna, without human intervention."

Why Do Native Plants Matter?

Why should you care about native plants? After all, we have plenty of flowers, vines, and trees all over the place. What difference does it make if they're native or non-native? 

A lot.

Let's go back to NNPM for this. 

"Native Plants are special because they have evolved over thousands of years alongside native bees, birds, and wildlife. The intricate relationships that have developed between local flora and fauna are extremely specialized and cannot be replaced with ornamental, non-native plants. Our landscapes today often contain plants collected from around the world, but many of our insects and caterpillars have not evolved quickly enough to be able to eat these strange, exotic foods. Therefore, native plants are unique because they provide food and shelter for native wildlife. Incorporating so many non-native plants into our landscapes has caused a sharp decline in pollinators and wildlife species, because of habitat destruction, and a lack of food. To help reverse this trend, many more native plants need to be planted across the country, including a wide variety of native plants with flowers that have different blooming times, flower colors, and flower shapes. "

It came as a huge surprise to me that many pollinators didn't even see non-native flowers as food sources, or that many couldn't access the pollen or nectar they offered.

Yes, non-natives are very pretty. And in many cases, they're harmless (meaning they're non-invasive). The problem comes when we plant mostly lawns and exotics/imports and the available native plant species dwindle, leading to starvation for pollinators and other wildlife. And when one species fails, those that depend on it for food or other ecosystem services also begin to decline. Imagine a trail of dominoes. When the first one falls, the second is shortly after. 

How Can I Support/Find Native Plants?

How can you support native plants? That's super simple: add them to your yard. Even a few additions of natives can make a major difference in the lives of native wildlife. If you want to take bigger steps, consider:

• Removing at least some of your lawn and replacing it with native plants. Pollinator gardens and rain gardens are gorgeous, need a fraction of the water and support that lawn does, and provide support to wildlife, which your lawn does not. Delawning/unlawning is something we should all begin embracing.
• Shop from certified native plant nurseries. Big box nurseries, like Home Depot and Lowe's, don't stock many natives (if any). And sometimes what they have is mislabeled as a native when it's an introduced species. If you're in Florida, buy from nurseries listed by the Florida Association of Native Nurseries (FANN). Many states have a similar organization.
• Don't remove natives that volunteer in your yard (or at least don't remove all of them). Many native wildflowers and other plants will show up without any effort on your part. If you let them live, they'll help wildlife.
• Get to know the natives in your region so you know what you're looking at/for and how they may differ from ecotypes from other regions. 

Native pollinators and other wildlife are the foundation of our ecosystems. By planting non-natives and focusing on lawns, we remove the food sources and habitats they need to thrive. When these species go, it affects everything, including us.