This document provides information about native plant species in Springfield Township, Michigan. It discusses how the township received an EPA grant to create an educational database on over 230 native plant species. The document is the first in a series that will explain the benefits of using native plants, what native plants are, and how residents can use them in their landscapes. It highlights how native plants perform important environmental functions, are adapted to the local conditions, attract wildlife, and have other benefits over non-native species. The document also aims to dispel common myths about native plants, such as that they cause allergies or are weedy/a fire hazard.

1. Springfield Township, Michigan
Sheet #1
Homeowner’s Series
Going Native
Introducing Native Plant Information Sheets
A main goal of Springfield keep our natural environ- received a grant from the native plants are, why they
Township is to develop and ment working. If we didn’t U.S. Environmental Protec- are beneficial to our commu-
implement appropriate and have cattails, we wouldn’t tion Agency to create a data- nity, and how you can use
effective tools to protect the have clean surface waters; if base (a CD-ROM) of more them in your landscape. For
area’s rich natural resources. we didn’t have oak trees, we than 230 plants native to more information on the
Important components of wouldn’t have clean air and Springfield Township, as plants themselves, you can
our natural resources are the food for wildlife. well as written materials that obtain an easy-to-use CD
plants that live here, from In an effort explain the from the Township Clerk’s
oaks and hickories to black- to educate benefits of using office (Phone: 248-846-
eyed susans and trillium. residents about natives, and 6510). You can also visit
The plants that occur here the importance how to use them www.epa.gov /glnpo, and
naturally are very important of using native in landscaping. click on “Native Plant En-
because they not only help plants, the This sheet is the hancement Project” to
define the character of the Township first in a series check out the CD online
Township, they perform sought and of eight that (minus the “plant search”
environmental functions that explains what capability).
What are native
plants?
Native plants are the
trees, shrubs, flowers,
Benefits of Landscaping With Native Plants
grasses, ferns and other
plants that have evolved If you haven’t worked with you many benefits, includ- ment. They also often at-
in a particular area (such native plants before, you ing the following: tract beneficial insects,
as southeast Michigan)
may be wondering how • Native plants are beauti- which prey upon pests, de-
over thousands of years.
natives are different than ful, providing an entirely creasing the need for pesti-
In the United States,
“native” plants existed daylilies or hostas. The new palate of plants to a cides.
here before European following information an- traditional landscape. • Most native species are
settlement. Over this swers these questions and perennial, or self-seeding
long period of time, the
• They are well-adapted
will help you begin to see to local conditions, therefore biennial plants.
plants have adapted to
the particular growing
why using at least some requiring little maintenance • Native plants attract our
conditions present here, natives in your garden can once established. They native songbirds and butter-
including temperature, be beneficial to the envi- eliminate or significantly flies. Just as the plants have
rainfall, winds, soils, ronment. reduce the need for fertiliz- evolved and adapted to our
slopes and wildlife.
Using native plants in ers, pesticides, water and area over time, the local
lawn maintenance equip- wildlife has evolved along
your landscape will bring
Continued on Page 2

2. Page 2 Going Native Homeowner’s Series
Benefits of Landscaping With Native Plants (Cont.)
Continued from Page 1
side them, depending on and reduce soil erosion. community’s character.
these plants for food and Using native vegetation, What would Springfield
shelter. unlike cultivated landscapes, Township look like without
• Using native plants pro- does not require the use of its majestic oaks and famil-
motes biodiversity. Planting lawn maintenance equip- iar wetland plants?
a small meadow that once ment, a major contributor to • Native plants are less
was lawn replaces one plant air pollution. They improve expensive to maintain. U.S.
species with many, increas- water quality by filtering EPA reports that a prairie or
ing the opportunities for contaminated stormwater, wetland costs approximately
beneficial wildlife and in- and reduce soil erosion by $150 a year per acre to
Red-winged Blackbirds use sects to live. stabilizing soils with their maintain, while the same
cattails to support their nests, deep root systems. amount of lawn costs $1,000
building a new nest for two to • Natives reduce air pollu-
tion, improve water quality • Natives maintain our per year per acre to main-
three broods a year.
natural heritage and our tain.
Dispelling the Myths about Native Plants
One way to tell if a
small tree or shrub is a Anything unknown often • Tall grasses attract landscape style you desire.
Dogwood is to gently comes with its share of rats. Rats are attracted by They can be used as you
snap a leaf in two and myths. Below are several extreme concentrations of would use any other orna-
observe if a “latex” or well-known myths about us- food such as grain elevators mental tree, shrub or peren-
stretchy substance ing native plants, and the and garbage. Tall grasses do nial.
spans the leaf where facts that dispel them. not themselves attract this
the veins were broken.
• Prairie grasses are a
• Native plants cause rodent.
fire hazard. As described
allergies. Allergies are ag- • What about mosqui- in An Introduction to Natu-
gravated by wind-borne pol- toes? Mosquitoes need ralized Landscapes, pub-
len. Many native plants, in- standing water for at least 10 lished by the City of Madi-
cluding goldenrod, are insect- days to breed. Landscapes son, Wisconsin, dry prairie
pollinated, not wind- with native plants do not cre- grasses can be ignited. How-
pollinated. In fact, non- ate standing water or have ever, alone, they are insub-
native grasses, such as Ken- more insect pests than a tradi- stantial and have less poten-
tucky Blue Grass and Ber- tionally landscaped home. tial for igniting structures
muda Grass, are responsible than the dry needles around
for much of the pollen in the • My yard will look like the base of the commonly
air. (Just a note: Ragweed, a a weed patch. Native used foundation plants such
wind-pollinated native, plants are amazingly diverse as yews (Taxus spp.) and
blooms at the same time as and beautiful, and can be junipers (Juniperus spp.) If
goldenrod, but ragweed’s used in the garden in many planting larger areas of prai-
flowers are inconspicuous, so ways. They can be important rie grasses, make sure you
goldenrod’s showy flowers components of a perennial understand and follow safe
Red-Osier Dogwood get the blame!) border, butterfly garden, methods of prairie installa-
shade garden or any other tion and management.