Native plants have so much to offer us, but are often neglected as a choice in our home gardens! They have so much to offer, including restoring our native habitat and playing a vital role in our ecosystem. They do this…among other things, by providing food and shelter for wildlife as well as attract pollinators. They don’t disrupt the local ecosystem, because they are perfectly suited for the site they exist in.

With that said, native plants grow in nature without the benefits of our care…pruning, watering, fertilizing, weeding……so why not take advantage of these no fuss plants in our own gardens? We are all asking for plants and shrubs that require “no maintenance”, and my answer is always…there is no such thing! But what if there was something pretty close? There are some beauties to consider, but it’s still important to plant them where they belong. Taking into consideration your planting zone and site conditions: sun orientation, soil quality are still very important. As I always say…Put the right plant in the right place!

When we think native plants, we often think wildflowers, but let’s not forget the other “goodies”: Grasses, ferns, shrubs (evergreen & deciduous), and trees. There’s a variety of plants- and something for everyone! Have a wet site, how about some stunning Blue Flag Iris or Winterberry? Need something for your shady site? Consider drooping Leucothoe or Dutchman’s pipe. Not a fan of watering? A couple of my favorite dry site plants are Tickseed and Blue False Indigo, both wonderful flowering performers. So many plants, so little time! And let’s not forget our CT state flower: Mountain Laurel.

There are cultivars that have been developed from native plants- and sometimes they offer superior disease resistance, as well as options for flowering and foliage variety. For example, our native flowering dogwood has been known to be particularly susceptible to anthracnosea (a common fungal disease of shade trees), but there are cultivars that have been developed that are hardier as well as offer a variety of flowers, foliage, in addition to differing maturity heights.

Native plants definitely have a prized place in our natural habitat, but don’t forget them for our home gardens! Have a little fun identifying native plants in your area, or have a go at incorporating these hardy but beautiful plants into your gardens.

Have a little fun identifying native plants in your area:

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