🌿Plants🌳
🌿Plants🌳
Why Natives?
By definition, a native Pennsylvania plant is one that grew in
Pennsylvania before the European settlers arrived, as opposed to exotic
plants which came from other countries after that time period. Natives
have many advantages. Because they evolved here, they are well-adapted to
our climate and are generally easy to care for once they are established.
Many native perennials like less fertile soil and require the addition of
little or no fertilizer. Perhaps the most compelling reason to choose
natives is to preserve Pennsylvania's biodiversity. Development is rapidly
reducing natural areas that shelter a wealth of our native plants; the
landscapes that replace the natural areas consist mostly of lawns and
exotic plants. Recent research from Dr. Doug Tallamy of the University of
Delaware has determined that 90 percent of our native insects are
specialists that feed on three or fewer families of plants. The insects
rely on native plant hosts and cannot eat the exotic plants that have
become common in our yards. A reduction of native insects means that birds
have fewer insects to feed to their young, and that will lead to a
reduction of bird species. In the next fifty years, what we plant in our
yards will determine the kind of wildlife that can live in Pennsylvania.
By planting natives, gardeners can help retain our natural history and the
beauty and diversity of Penn's Woods.
Learn more at the PennState Extension
This page brought to you by Jackie Dietz-Van Rythoven