Why it matters
Native plants and native wildlife have co-evolved over thousands of years. The relationship between a native oak and the 500+ species of insects that depend on it is not replicable with a non-native ornamental, however attractive it may be. Most introduced ornamentals support fewer than 5 insect species. Most native trees support hundreds.
This matters because insects are the foundation of nearly every food web. Fewer insects means fewer birds, fewer bats, fewer small mammals, and a landscape that looks green but functions as a desert. Planting natives rebuilds the base of the food web from the ground up.
How to do it
- 1Identify your region: native plants vary by ecoregion. Use the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's native plant database (wildflower.org) or your country's equivalent to find species native to your area.
- 2Choose one plant to replace: pick one non-native ornamental that could be swapped for a native alternative. Start small.
- 3Buy from a reputable native nursery: ask whether plants are locally propagated (not just native species grown from distant seed sources). Local ecotypes are better adapted and more valuable.
- 4Plant at the right time: autumn planting allows roots to establish before summer heat. Follow species-specific guidance.
- 5Observe and record: note what visits your native plant over the first season. Log it on iNaturalist to contribute to science.
A single native oak supports more biodiversity than a whole street of ornamental trees. A native wildflower meadow replacing a lawn supports up to 3,000 invertebrate species per hectare. Every native plant is a node in a network that supports everything above it in the food web.