Native Plant Restoration

Whether you are interested in developing a large-scale natural community reconstruction, improving an existing natural community for plants and wildlife, or planting a butterfly garden in your landscaping, the use of native species is important. There are several reasons to use native plants in all your landscaping or restoration projects. The use of native plants ensures that you are not unwittingly introducing invasive exotic species into the area. Native plants are best suited for the local environmental conditions including the soil, rainfall, and temperature. It is also important to know that nearly all native plants provide an important need for wildlife and often wildlife species have specific adaptations to local plants and may even depend upon a particular native plant or plants. For example, the monarch butterfly caterpillars depend on native milkweeds for feeding. The loss of these larval host plants is one of the reasons for the monarch’s decline in recent years.

There are many good online resources related to native plants and their establishment, propagation, care, and use. The links provided to the right are a good start for any native plant project you have.

Native Plant Restoration