Native plants inherently produce appropriate food for the insects, birds and animals that live in that particular climate. Often, non-native plants (ie. Japanese honeysuckle, Japanese wisteria, kudzu vine, English ivy, multiflora rose, purple loosestrife) will crowd out the natives preventing their growth and killing them. This greatly reduces the variety of plants needed for a healthy and balanced ecosystem that can support the wildlife living in it. It is worrisome that many plants (often so-called ornamentals) are bred to produce giant, multi-layered flowers that have a wow effect for us humans but because of the flower’s physical structure, insects cannot get to the pollen and nectar. Also worrisome, are plants that are bred to be sterile and therefore do not produce any fruit. What are creatures supposed to eat?
Many of our wild places are being paved over or sprayed with herbicides and pesticides and this is contributing to the demise of many species. The monarch butterfly, for example, depends on the milkweed flower for survival. It is the only food source for their young. As prairies and meadows have been developed, much of the monarch’s habitat has been eliminated. We are contributing to the death of this species but we can also do something to help it by planting this flower in a sunny area in our yards. For free seeds go to http://www.livemonarch.com/free-milkweed-seeds.htm.
I think it’s time to give back to Mother Earth and the life She supports by starting to think holistically about our little piece of earth and start transforming our landscapes into life-affirming naturescapes. Our holistic attention to the land will be of benefit to all living things including ourselves. The ecosystem is such an interconnected web that every living thing has a purpose and effects all other things in the system. Scientists are still learning about the repercussions of affecting one link in this intricate web of life. They still aren’t sure what is killing our bees that pollinate most of our fruits and vegetables. Or what is causing a fungus to infect and kill the bats we depend on for insect control.
So please, try planting some fruit-bearing shrubs (American Beautyberry, blueberry, hazelnut bush) and trees (dogwoods, serviceberries) this spring. Maybe start creating a hedge-row all along the boundaries of your property. Think of these green swaths as creature highways of safety and food and imagine if all your neighbors did the same. Intermix some native evergreens (Juniperus virginiana (red cedar), Yaupon holly)) to provide shelter during the winter months and maybe some thorny shrubs (blackberry) so birds have a place of refuge from predators and a safe place to nest. You’ll have privacy and all living things will thank you including Mother Earth.
For more information and inspiration:
Noah’s Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Backyards by Sara Stein
http://pinellas.fnpschapters.org/pdfs/attractwildlife.pdf
http://ncbg.unc.edu/uploads/files/NativePlantsWoody.pdf
http://www.ncsu.edu/goingnative/
