Improve your garden and biodiversity with native plants
By Van Mitchell
Plants native to Pennsylvania are not only beautiful but also good for the environment at large.
A native Pennsylvania plant is one that grew in the region before the European settlers arrived, as opposed to exotic plants imported from other countries after that period.
Natives have many advantages, said Mandy Smith, Penn State Extension coordinator and Master Gardener coordinator in Westmoreland County.
“Native plants have grown (in popularity with gardeners) in the past decade,” Smith said. “It is very important that we plant native plants. The benefits of having native plants are tremendous for our ecosystem, but even for ourselves, for our connection to the land.”
Smith said because they evolved here, native plants are well-adapted to the area’s climate and are generally simple to care for once they are established.
Many native perennials like less fertile soil and require the addition of little or no fertilizer. Perhaps the most compelling reason to choose natives is to preserve Pennsylvania’s biodiversity, Smith said.
“Native gardens are beneficial, and everybody should be growing them,” she said.
According to the PSU Extension, recent research from Dr. Doug Tallamy of the University of Delaware has determined that 90 percent of our native insects are specialists that feed on three or fewer families of plants. The insects rely on native plant hosts and cannot eat the exotic plants that have become common in our yards.
Tallamy said a reduction of native insects means that birds have fewer insects to feed to their young, leading to a decrease in bird species.
What we plant in our yards will determine the kind of wildlife that can live in Pennsylvania in the next 50 years, according to the PSU Extension website.
Though native plants have the home advantage, matching their needs to the growing site is still very important. The soil around many of our home sites is often removed before home construction and may not be replaced afterward.
Smith said people need to determine their soil type — do you have heavy clay or silty loam? Is it high or low in organic matter? Does it tend to dry out quickly after rainfall, or does it hold moisture?
According to the PSU Extension website, gardeners and homeowners must also consider other additional factors. Is the site in the sun or shade? Does the location allow perennials to grow to their maximum size without crowding? Combining plants that grow well in the same natural habitats will help create healthy, vigorous plantings.
“No matter what you are planting, it is all about the right plant in the right place,” Smith said. “You want to know a little bit about the plant you are selecting. You want to select something that is appropriate for your site.”
Smith said spring, early summer, and fall are the best times to establish native perennials, ensuring the soil is a depth of eight to ten inches and incorporating any soil amendments.
The PSU Extension website adds that when planting, placing the plant in a hole at the same depth as when it was in the container is essential.
Smith said while native plants are growing in popularity, in the fall of 2021, two popular landscape plants were added to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s list of noxious weeds: Japanese barberry and Callery pear or Bradford pear.
Pennsylvania law defines a noxious weed as “a plant that is determined to be injurious to public health, crops, livestock, agricultural land or other property.”
When adding new plants to your yard or garden, consider the plant’s origin and how it will work in tandem with the other plants already in your local ecosystem.
Smith said pollinator gardens are also gaining traction in popularity. A pollinator garden is a garden that is planted predominately with flowers that provide nectar or pollen for a range of pollinating insects. A pollinator garden can be any size.
“The biggest trends are pollinator gardens,” she said. “In Westmoreland County, we do have a pollinator partnership with 20 different pollinator gardens. There is a certification for pollinator-friendly gardens from Penn State through our entomology department that home gardeners can apply to receive. It is a badge of honor for gardeners to have such a certification.”
Smith said pollinator gardens are bio-friendly.
“You reduce pesticide use,” she said. “There is a reduction of water use and an increase of biodiversity within the garden.”
Smith said more Pennsylvania nurseries are carrying native plants.
“There are more nurseries that have native plants for sale,” she said. “We also encourage people to grow their own. There are a lot of different opportunities to start your own seed (garden).”
For more information about native plants and gardening, visit extension.psu.edu.