Benefits of Growing Native Plants

Bethany Keller
Sep 10
2 min read

Growing native plants offers numerous advantages for both the environment and gardening practices.

Here are some key reasons:

1. Environmental Adaptation

Native plants are well-adapted to the local climate, soil, and conditions, requiring less water and maintenance compared to non-native species. You do need to water your plants for the first few seasons to establish healthy root systems, but once established, native plants can withstand weather extremes better than non-native ornamentals.

2. Biodiversity Support

They provide essential habitat and food sources for local wildlife, including birds, insects, and other pollinators, thus promoting biodiversity.

3. Pest Resistance

Native plants are often more resistant to local pests and diseases, reducing the need for chemical pesticides and promoting a healthier ecosystem.

4. Soil Health Improvement

These plants contribute to soil health by preventing erosion, enhancing soil structure, and improving nutrient cycling through their root systems. If you leave leaf litter in your garden beds over the fall and winter, you feed the soil as the leaf litter decomposes.

5. Low Maintenance

Once established, native plants typically require less care, such as watering and fertilizing, making them ideal for sustainable gardening. Native plants are adapted to your local environmental conditions and are more resilient when weather patterns shift.

6. Aesthetic Value

Native plants can enhance the beauty of landscapes with their unique forms, colors, and seasonal interest, adding to the local character of gardens.

7. Climate Resilience

They are more resilient to climate change impacts, such as drought and flooding, helping to maintain stable ecosystems. Native plants set down deep root systems that soak up rainwater runoff and reduce erosion. Raingardens, swales, and berms planted with native species can help divert rainwater away from buildings and redirect flash flooding into intentional channels to soak up overflow. Native plants can also better withstand drought conditions because deeply rooted plants can access deeper groundwater sources.