Native Selection
By Bernie Paquette
Look into your backyard at natives that were here before us; they have family lives and relationships with each other. For example, trees sending carbon, and chemical, hormonal and electrical signals to each other.
Look into your backyard at native plants that co-evolved with insects and wildlife.
Look into your backyard at the inter-reliance of native plants, they have relationships with other native species.
Look into your backyard. Does it still have the layers of a healthy ecosystem consisting of most if not all native plants?
Look into your backyard at any non-native (alien) species like rogues at a family gathering; are they disrupting the natural communities and ecological processes, are they out-competing the native species? Are non-native species producing chemicals preventing natives from growing? Will they escape and spread into the wild, further displacing native plants?
Ornamental hybrids, cultivars, or clones decrease the value of beneficial insects and genetic diversity in your backyard. (Plants with double flowers typically have no nectar or pollen for pollinators.) Nativars are cultivars of a native plant. Nativars generally have less genetic diversity and possibly some loss of genetic function compared to straight species plants. The best choice is to go with straight species; both Latin names, genus and epithet, are italicized.
Look into your backyard and imagine a growing volume of diverse native plants and wildlife.
Look into your backyard of pathways of grass between families of native perennials, shrubs, and trees, feeding the web of life.
Look into your backyard and see native life flourishing in a biological balance of beauty.
Look into your backyard and watch the native plants interact with the community of plants, animals, pathogens, that historically helped shape it.
Look into your backyard at native plants adapted to native insects and insects adapted to native plants like the Monarch on the native milkweed.
Look into your backyard at native plants planted in the right location, requiring less care than non-native plants.
Look into your backyard with a greater and greater density of native plants making you a Habitat Hero in the eyes of Monarchs, Fritillaries, Bumblebees, and many other pollinators who suffer from native plant habitat loss.
Look into your backyard not as a wall-to-wall carpet of sterile grass, but as a family of native plants of various heights, shapes, colors, and fragrances. And plant for a continuous succession of bloom throughout the season, ideally having each species consisting of a minimum of 3-foot square massing.
Beyond perennials, remember to include flowering trees, shrubs, and vines as well. Don't forget larval host plants because without caterpillars there would be no butterflies.
Look into your backyard and see a native Eden that was once and can be again.
Look into your now mostly native plant backyard and watch the complex and essential symbiotic relationships between the native plants and the many native organisms, native life forms, native species, interact, communicate, host, and feed each other.
Look into your backyard and see how native plants support the web of life.
Look into your backyard of native plants to learn about and welcome those that were here before us: butterflies, moths, birds, flies, beetles, wasps, ants, bees, and many more forms of life.
Select native for your backyard.
A yard of at least 70% native plants can be a food buffet for native wildlife.
Hi Bernie: After the snow melts and I do look into my backyard, I'll be thinking of you and your comments. A treasure trove of information! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi Bernie: After the snow melts and I do look into my backyard, I'll think of you and your comments. A treasure trove of information! Thank you.
ReplyDelete