Why native plants?
A little about CA Natives:
Approximately one-third of CA native species are endemic (do not occur anywhere else on Earth.)
California is home to more than 6,000 native plant species, subspecies and varieties, and contains one-quarter of all plants native to North America. . California's native plants evolved here over thousands of years. They have co-evolved with animals, insects, fungi and microbes, to form a complex network of relationships that benefit one another. They are the foundation of our native ecosystems, or natural communities.
WHAT NATIVE PLANTS DO FOR YOUR GARDEN
Add immense beauty. CA natives are some of the most dynamic, colorful, fragrant and aesthetically enriching plants on earth. Don’t let anyone try to convince you that CA natives are all dry looking shrubs. Like a lot of things in California, they have persevered through sheer will power and are not afraid of showing off.
Reduce water consumption. Once natives are established in a garden, they use, on average, one-seventh the water of most non-natives. Most CA natives are adapted to rely on mycorrhizae fungal networks which store water for hot summers when some plants cannot metabolize extra water.
Reduce pesticide use. Because they have co-evolved with native wildlife, native plants typically have fewer pest problems than non-natives. In fact, they encourage beneficial insects and organisms which if successfully established create a self sustaining pest control system.
Reduce your carbon footprint. They’re local! So that means they don’t have to travel far from the grower to the nursery or to your garden. Also most native plants like nutrient-poor soils and do not require soil amendments or fertilizers. In most situations, and with the correct plant choice, they work in harmony with the existing soil.
Reduce maintenance. Another benefit of thousands of years of adaptation, low maintenance! A well-designed native garden – planted for the mature size of the plants – can require very low maintenance, once established as, you guessed it, they have adapted to the local conditions, working in harmony with their surroundings. For example most leaf drop provides the needed nutrients for the soil as well as an excellent source of mulch.
Attract wildlife. Native plants provide birds, hummingbirds, butterflies and pollinators with food and shelter.
Support the natural food web. Only 10% of herbivorous insect species can eat non-native plants, and insects comprise over 90% of the diet of baby birds, making native plants (and insects) an essential part of any bird habitat. Insects also provide other important services, such as decomposition, pollination and predation (on other insects.)
For more information visit the California Native Plant Society Website below:
