Why Native Plants?
- Adapted: Native plants are adapted for local climate and site conditions. Native plants are typically healthier and stronger than nonnatives.
- Easy: After plants as established, they are low maintenance, typically require no watering or amendments.
- Build Habitat: Create habitat for insects, birds, mammals, and more! Native plants provide nesting, foraging, and sheltered areas.
- Bugs and Birds: Native plants feed native bees, moths, butterflies, hummingbirds, beetles, and more. Our entire food web depends on pollinators. 96% of young birds are raised on insects and caterpillars.
- Biodiversity: Growing native plants at home ensures that threatened species will continue to exist.
- Environment: Native plants benefit the environment because they don’t require watering, fertilizer, or pesticides. The help to sequester carbon, decrease pollution, and control water run-off.
- Beautiful: Native plants are beautiful!
Find more information on our national website.
Definitions to Know:
What’s a native plant? Native plants occur naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, or habitat without human introduction
What’s a host plant? A host plant is very important because it is the ONLY plant a butterfly/moth/bee/beetle will lay their eggs on. The plant then becomes food for the growing caterpillar! These caterpillars turn into butterflies but are also the main food source for baby birds.
What’s an invasive species? An invasive species is defined as a species that is non-native to the ecosystem under consideration, and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.