The document discusses the benefits of using native plants in home landscaping, emphasizing their relationship with local ecosystems and the importance of mimicking natural environments. It covers historical perspectives on gardening with native flora, the impact of non-native species, and the ecological advantages of native plants in promoting biodiversity and reducing maintenance costs. Additionally, it provides practical guidance for incorporating natives into home gardens while considering environmental factors and personal preferences.

1. Using Native plants in the Home Landscape Geraldine Adamich Laufer

2. Natural Gardening Gardening offers greatest reward when done in concert with nature

3. What is a native plant? All plants native somewhere Many mainstream gardeners don’t know which are native and which aren’t Everyday natives are familiar Pass-along plants Cypredium acaule

4. A native plant Indigenous to locale Comes from 1 region Native prior to Columbus Adapting for thousands of years Relationship to climate, soil, pests, other plants ID by botanical name Cypredium kentuckiense

5. Plant Ecology Particular combination of environmental, physical + biotic factors Biome has distinctive patterns: soil, rainfall, topography, wind, temperature, light Each plant takes its place in a web of interactions The natural gardener mimics nature’s design Most efficient landscape Trilliam grandiflorum

6. Plant Competition Plants are not independent Compete for scarce natural resources In the garden too Podophyllum peltatum

7. Natural Succession Plant community in state of continual flux Predictable series of changes “seral stages” Gradual replacement of plant communities in a given area Develops dynamic equilibrium, called climax vegetation Where does your garden fall in this succession?

8. Plant Tolerance Range Conditions determine where plant can grow + reproduce Similar tolerance ranges overlap and produce a community Plants repeatedly found together e.g. Wetlands –bog plants; wetlands garden

9. Types of Native Communities/Ecosystems Aquatic Grasslands Desert Shrublands Pinelands Woodlands Forest* Lysichiton americanum

10. Great Eastern Forest Mixed forests Atlantic and Gulf coasts 40” annual rainfall, evenly distributed Deep, fertile, slightly acidic soils Mild winters Oak, beech, maple, elm, tulip poplar, ash, dogwood, redbud

11. Southeastern Mixed Forest Open forest of Loblolly, shortleaf + other pines Understory grasses, palms 40-60” rainfall evenly distributed, fire Nutrient-poor soils due to high precipitation Gum, bald cypress, oak, hickory, blueberry, dogwood Loblolly and palmetto

12. Outer Coastal Plain Forest Northern Florida to Gulf Coast + inland to Mississippi Valley Live oak, laurel, magnolia, understory of shrubs, small palms Mosses, woody vines, orchids, epiphytes Extensive stands of pines Live oak

13. Regional Natives Colonized in limited range; just one place e.g. Bartram/ Franklinia Indigenous to a small area Franklinia altamaha

14. Non-Natives + “Straddlers” Flowering plants developed ~ 100M years ago: Pangea Then plates began shifting ~ 75M years ago So we have “Straddlers” --same genus, far-flung spp. Examples: Magnolia, Cornus, Rhododendron Asian Magnolia liliflora

15. American plants introduced to Europe Wealthy patrons sent plant explorers to the Newe Found Worlde Influx of North American plants to Europe “ American Gardens” fad American plants were outlandish novelties America 16-18 th C Asia 18-20 th C c. 1650

16. Non-native plants + Nursery Trade Early colonial nurseries did not sell natives Why? Colonists had neither time nor money to indulge in gardening

17. Non-natives favored in trade Colonists preferred familiar favorites from the “old country” Fences and enclosed spaces Clipped hedges and tidy flower beds

18. Non-natives favored in U.S. nursery trade Native flora looked wild and unfamiliar If not sold in a nursery, must be a weed Easy to dig up natives from the woods, fields, (not purchase them) Later, European bedding targeted non-native tropicals Swamp hibiscus

19. Native American flora + other eyes Savvy European plant breeders continued to “improve” garden-worthiness of American native plants Grow, evaluate, hybridize and sell back to American markets our native wildflowers Often with German names Rudbeckia “Goldstrum’

20. Changing perspectives After WWII a large middle class bought homes + yards Copied English borders + European lawns Failure of English borders in U.S. 1962 Environmental Movement, Rachel Carson Ladybird Johnson “Beautify America” rapid growth of suburbs

21. Political backing for natives 1965 Highway Beautification Act eliminated billboards 1973 Operation Wildflower, National Council of State Garden Clubs + DOT 1987 Surface Transportation Act 1994 Executive Mandate stipulated % regional plants on all federal grounds Roadside natives

22. Implications of government actions Created a supply bottleneck Commercial scarcity of natives America Association of Nurserymen resisted “interference” e.g. Sourwood Oxydendron slow - growing, 8”/year e.g. Black Gum Nyssa problematic taproot Oxydendron arboreum

23. Governmental actions controversial Impact of government on Nursery business Over-collection to get starter plants Destruction of habitats Non-regional seed, question of provenance Torreya taxifolia seed collection

24. Tolerance Range and Provenance Nurseries needed propagation material and got it anywhere they could Just because one species is native over a wide range doesn’t mean an individual will do well anywhere in that range Echinaceae purpurea

25. Interest in regional designs Henry David Thoreau Pioneering work Darrel Morrison University Wisconsin, Madison Prairie restoration + Jens Jensen + O.C. Simmons natives and grasses

26. Tradition of Regional Centers for Natives Avoid horticultural homogenization 1900 Garden in the Woods + New England Wildflower Society 1930s Madison, WI native prairie Cullowhee and Gatlinburg Symposia National Wildflower Research Center, Austin, TX Monarch on Helianthus

27. Straight species vs. cultivars debate Straight species has wide genetic diversity Selections can be chosen + vegetatively propagated Solution: Preserve diversity on federal lands Use higher-cost cultivars + selections in private gardens Cornus florida ‘ Cherokee Chief ’

28. Today (present company excepted) Average home landscape is ecological disaster Angular, geometric shapes Level, unchanging lawn monocultures 40 M lawnmowers 2 B gallons gas used annually for mowing Sprinkling lawns triples water consumption Herbicides, insecticides, fungicides used Dead soils evaporation

29. Native Plant Lovers Merger of ideas Creativity Use natives to create optimum environment Follow nature’s guide Learn by trowel + error Creative uses of native plants

30. Benefits of Natural Landscaping Link to tradition Cornus florida

31. Benefits of Natural Landscaping Link to tradition Sense of place, “genius loci” Fothergilla gardenii

32. Benefits of Natural Landscaping Link to tradition Sense of place, “genius loci” Relaxing retreat from straight lines + square corners Edge of woodland

33. Benefits of Natural Landscaping Link to tradition Sense of place, “genius loci” Relaxing retreat from straight lines + square corners Re-discover little-known plants Bog planting for rain garden

34. Benefits of Natural Landscaping Link to tradition Sense of place, “genius loci” Relaxing retreat from straight lines + square corners Re-discover little-known plants Celebrate biodiversity Cleistes bifaria

35. Benefits of Natural Landscaping Link to tradition Sense of place, “genius loci” Relaxing retreat from straight lines + square corners Re-discover little-known plants Contribute to biodiversity Provide habitat for wildlife American Goldfinch

36. Benefits of Natural Landscaping Link to tradition Sense of place, “genius loci” Relaxing retreat from straight lines + square corners Re-discover little-known plants Contribute to biodiversity Provide habitat for wildlife Maintenance + expense are substantially reduced easy to grow native ferns

37. Benefits of Natural Landscaping Link to tradition Sense of place, “genius loci” Relaxing retreat from straight lines + square corners Re-discover little-known plants Contribute to biodiversity Provide habitat for wildlife Substantially less long-term maintenance and expense Lower water needs once established Tough native

38. Benefits of Natural Landscaping Link to tradition Sense of place, “genius loci” Relaxing retreat from straight lines + square corners Re-discover little-known plants Contribute to biodiversity Provide habitat for wildlife Substantially less long-term maintenance and expense Lower water needs once established Conserve natural resources Viburnum dentatum

39. Benefits of Natural Landscaping Link to tradition Sense of place, “genius loci” Relaxing retreat from straight lines + square corners Re-discover little-known plants Contribute to biodiversity Provide habitat for wildlife Substantially less long-term maintenance and expense Lower water needs once established Conserve natural resources Better suited to local conditions Trillium luteum

40. Benefits of Natural Landscaping Link to tradition Sense of place, “genius loci” Relaxing retreat from straight lines + square corners Re-discover little-known plants Contribute to biodiversity Provide habitat for wildlife Substantially less long-term maintenance and expense Lower water needs once established Conserve natural resources Better suited to local conditions Seasonal change and variation fall color

41. How to start? Evaluate landscape plan areas

42. How to start? Evaluate landscape Environmental considerations ecosystems

43. How to start? Evaluate landscape Environmental considerations Personal requirements Eupatorium purpureum

44. How to start? Evaluate landscape Environmental considerations Personal requirements Planting preferences Trillium grandiflorum

45. How to start? Evaluate landscape Environmental considerations Personal requirements Planting preferences Sequence of spaces Native groundcover planting

46. How to start? Evaluate landscape Environmental considerations Personal requirements Planting preferences Sequence of spaces Meandering, non-bordered path is naturalistic riot of color

47. How to start? Evaluate landscape Environmental considerations Personal requirements Planting preferences Sequence of spaces Meandering non-bordered path is naturalistic Eliminate toxic chemicals Aesculus pavia

48. How to start? Evaluate landscape Environmental considerations Personal requirements Planting preferences Sequence of spaces Meandering non-bordered path is naturalistic Eliminate toxic chemicals Encourage beneficial organisms bees

49. How to start? Evaluate landscape Environmental considerations Personal requirements Planting preferences Sequence of spaces Meandering non-bordered path is naturalistic Eliminate toxic chemicals Encourage beneficial organisms Add compost and humus Podophyllum peltatum

50. How to start? Evaluate landscape Environmental considerations Personal requirements Planting preferences Sequence of spaces Meandering non-bordered path is naturalistic Eliminate toxic chemicals Encourage beneficial organisms Add compost and humus Reduce lawn area or try native grasses native border + small grassy area

51. How to start? Evaluate landscape Environmental considerations Personal requirements Planting preferences Sequence of spaces Meandering non-bordered path is naturalistic Eliminate toxic chemicals Encourage beneficial organisms Add compost and humus Reduce lawn area or try native grasses Consider progression of seasons Spring bluebells

52. Plan A: 100% Native Your list depends on the specific conditions of your piece of land Two main habitats: grasslands + woodlands Visit near-by nature preserves and make a survey Copy nature’s plant lists from functional natural habitats Specialty or theme garden approach Hydrangea quercifolia

53. Plan B: Mixed Landscapes Add native plants to traditional landscapes Widest choice of plants Common sense approach Dr. Armitage “Does a chocoholic spurn Ghiradelli or Godiva because they are not made in Hershey, Pa?” Mainstream natives alongside Japanese Maple Overall, reduce workload Natives

54. Natural approach to the home garden Site inventory principles of landscape design

55. Natural approach to the home garden Site inventory Home end and wild end of landscape rock steps

56. Natural approach to the home garden Site inventory Home end and wild end of landscape Few straight lines in nature graceful conifers

57. Natural approach to the home garden Site inventory Home end and wild end of landscape Few straight lines in nature Use odd numbers Rhododendron prunifolium

58. Natural approach to the home garden Site inventory Home end and wild end of landscape Few straight lines in nature Use odd numbers Plants seldom grow at regular intervals Tiarella cordifolia

59. Natural approach to the home garden Site inventory Home end and wild end of landscape Few straight lines in nature Use odd numbers Plants seldom grow at regular intervals Group the plants and group the groups Natural groupings

60. Natural approach to the home garden Site inventory Home end and wild end of landscape Few straight lines in nature Use odd numbers Plants seldom grow at regular intervals Group the plants and group the groups Vary plant SIZES to mimic succession in plant community stream banks

61. Natural approach to the home garden Site inventory Home end and wild end of landscape Few straight lines in nature Use odd numbers Plants seldom grow at regular intervals Group the plants and group the groups Vary plant SIZES to mimic succession in plant community Group according to water needs + reduce water use Sarracenia leucophyllum

62. Natural approach to the home garden Site inventory Home end and wild end of landscape Few straight lines in nature Use odd numbers Plants seldom grow at regular intervals Group the plants and group the groups Vary plant SIZES to mimic succession in plant community Group according to water needs + reduce water use Stop raking leaves Hickory

63. Maintaining gardens naturally Understand natural processes Tough love Select plants appropriately Choose plants for their mature size Use Integrated Pest Management Weed control + Mulch Graceful grasses and coneflower

64. Natural gardening Nature designs a world of gardens . . . and we can adopt the same principles Culver’s root

65. In summary Include natives Match plant requirements to available location Use varying sizes of plants Enjoy your private Eden deck over wetland

66. Thank You + Go Native!