The Whimsical Benefits of Planting Native Plants
A Flowering Dogwood. Native to Tennessee.
Moving to the countryside of Tennessee has been one of the greatest gifts in my life. Waking up every morning to the melodious tune of birds and feeling the buzz of the natural world around me is something I’ve never been able to really experience before relocating here. It’s magic.
But I can’t help but feel disheartened when I drive around and see these massive areas of land plowed over for large monocultures of corn or soybean. I can’t even imagine how many creatures lost their homes to these large scale operations. Rows and rows and rows farther than the eye can see of corn. Not a single shred of biodiversity in sight, depleted soil, and sickened airways tainted by pesticides. These enormous monocultures are unnatural and it pushes the native wildlife to their limits.
“I remember back when I was your age and we would have to hose down our splattered windshields because there were so many bugs on the road,” our neighbors told us. Now there are virtually none. “There used to be bees everywhere. Well, I’m grateful the birds are still chirpin’.”
Butterflyweed. An oasis for Monarch butterflies. Native to Tennessee.
Native wildlife doesn’t just provide us with beautiful hymns, each and every single one of those creatures plays a vital role within a complex and balanced ecosystem. A jarring narrative has been painted here in America that portrays little critters as a nuisance when in reality, we need them. They are essential. That is why its up to us to undo the damage that’s been done. It can be overwhelming, but there are things we can do to help!
Planting native trees, shrubs, and flowers is an incredible way to help restore some of the natural habitats that have been lost to urbanization and big agriculture. When you plant native plants on your porch, garden, or wherever you grow, you’re not only helping the native wildlife, but you’re also rewarded with many of their benefits.
Gardening has become one of the most fulfilling passions I’ve ever pursued, I absolutely love it. I can hardly sit here and write this because I just want to jump up and work in the garden. But as much as I love it, it can be a lot of work, especially with a larger garden. Through my research in permaculture and native planting, I’ve learned that I don’t have to do it all on my own. By listening to the land and tending to its needs, you can save yourself so much time, money, and hassle. You will even attract countless creatures that will help your garden flourish.
When you introduce native plants into your garden, you’re helping to restore natural habitats for native birds and insects. When done strategically, these new homes can play into the ecology of your garden and help it take care of itself. For example, this year, I’m planting native trees, shrubs, and flowering plants at the far edge of my garden. There is a variety of large shading trees, fruiting shrubs, medium to large flowers, and ground covering flowers. These multiple layers of native plants paves the way for a wide variety of creatures to make it their home or resting place. By inviting more native butterflies and bees, you help sustain their populations and in return, they assist you with marvelous task of pollinating your vegetables. When you invite a variety of birds to rest and feed on the berries of native trees and shrubs, they help maintain bug populations in the garden while also fertilizing the soil with their droppings. This cascade of native trees and shrubs also creates a synergy in this zone of the garden and helps sustain the ecology of the soil as well. The showering of raindrops coated in the nutrient rich matter on the leaves and the leaves’ eventual decent to the ground in the fall orchestrates a symphony of life beneath the soil. Worms and microorganisms dance with ecstasy, grateful for the abundance from above. The list can go on and on. Planting native plants and helping to restore natural habitats above and below the soil will lend many of their mystical benefits to your garden.
Whether you have a garden to grow your own food or for sheer floral pleasure, watering your garden can be a lot of work and costly if tending to a larger garden. That’s why I was so pleasantly surprised when I learned that native plants are much easier and cost effective to water. Taking care of exotic or foreign plants in the garden can be quite stressful. You have to mimic the conditions from their own natural habitat. It can take tons of water to mirror the damp forest floor high in the Japanese mountains. Yes, the flowers are beautiful, but it will take a lot more work to keep it happy. The beauty of planting native plants, is that they’ll already be accustomed to the water conditions in your region. For example, if you’re in an area that can experience droughts, the native plants will have adapted to hold more water and endure dry spells. Of course watering them will still be of great benefit to them, but its not nearly as much of a life or death situation if you forget to water or only give them a light shower. Native plants can handle it.
Another strenuous task in the garden can be staking or protecting your plants during extreme weather conditions, meaning you’ll be a lot more stressed over a plant rather than really being able to enjoy it. Well guess what! You won’t have to worry nearly as much about the weather conditions in your area with native plants, they’re designed to handle it. For example, here in Tennessee, we have tons of beautiful native plants that overwinter and can come back year after year. Many of the can also withstand intense winds because they have adapted to do so. Whenever you plant a native in the garden, that’s one less worry you’ll have.
A practice in ‘traditional’ gardening and big agriculture that makes me cringe the absolute most is the use of pesticides. Even just typing it makes me nauseous. You must understand that Mother Nature mastered the art of balance far before we randomly took over. She didn’t use any pesticides to control populations of insects. The miracle of planting native plants means you won’t have to use any dangerous pesticides on your plants because the plants have developed natural resistances to the local pests and funguses or they’ve developed a symbiotic relationship with them. Spraying pesticides doesn’t just obliterate the pests you’re trying to control, it kills EVERYTHING. Even the beneficial insects you want in your garden. I can’t even want to think about the negative affects it has on us too. Seriously, the less you spray, the better.
As we just recapped with pesticides, synthetic chemicals do not belong in the garden. Neither do synthetic fertilizers. The most optimal way to fertilize is through the use of organic matter. Things that not only feed your plants, but invigorate the life of the soil as well. Fertilizing is important, but you won’t need to spend and use nearly as much with native plants. They’ve naturally adapted to the soil conditions of your region, meaning they’re able to pull all the nutrients they need from the native soil. In the same breathe, they’ve also developed natural resistances to local soil born funguses and diseases, meaning less worry and hassle in the long run.
Planting exotics flowers in the garden allows for beautiful views but it also invites the potential for opportunistic or invasive plants to take over. Introducing foreigns species can have major impacts on the ecology of your region. We mentioned above how some plants may need more care to survive in your conditions, but some plants can actually thrive. So much so that they can overrun and choke out other native species, disrupting the natural balance of the ecosystem. Disrupting native the native plants can have a chain reaction that affects the birds, insects, and other creatures that depend on them. Planting native plants doesn’t just minimize that risk, it encourages the sustainability of native wildlife. Typically, native plants aren’t as opportunistic as foreign plants can be, so they shouldn’t overrun a garden (unless its a viner).
Rattlesnake Master. Great for bees. A Tennessee native.
As you can see, there is truly a myriad of benefits to planting natives. Whether its in your garden, back porch, or balcony, planting native flowers is great way to encourage the native wildlife and help sustain their natural habitats. It takes gardening and growing beyond the point of just self gratifying satisfaction. It makes it far more intentional, purposeful, and fulfilling knowing that we can grow something so beautiful that will also benefit the native creatures.
I recommend researching which plants are native to your area or state. It’s pretty easy to find with a simple Google search or by using Native Plants Finder. I was so happy to discover the beautiful varieties that are native here to Tennessee, like Elderberry, Anise Hyssop, and even a few varieties of bee balm! It really opens the door to creating a very unique and sustainable garden. I’m not completely bashing on planting exotic plants either, we still plant them too, but its important to be conscious on the balance you have in the garden when mixing in native and exotic plants. Balance is the key.
I want to give a special shoutout to Tennessee Naturescapes and the incredible work their doing to preserve native species of trees, shrubs, and flowers! If you’re in Tennessee, I’d recommend giving them a visit!
Thank you all so much for reading! I hope this has been insightful and has helped you understand a little more on the importance of planting native plants and the benefits too.
Love and light.
Photography by Brian Brigantti