Greensboro’s recent resolution to plant more native flora on city property is commendable and will be exciting to watch. Native plants support butterflies, birds and other wildlife that would otherwise suffer from human interference in their habitats and, as a result, decline in numbers.
Residents can similarly commit to planting at least 50% native greenery on their landscapes. Even apartment and condo dwellers can add native flowering perennials to patios and balconies.
So, let’s all take a little journey together toward healing our land and putting back what was here before. It requires a commitment and understanding of both native plants and those that are considered invasive non-natives. For me, the payoff is that I’m attracting more birds and butterflies to my yard.
According to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, native plants are just like the name implies: "... species that evolved naturally in a region without human intervention." From red maple (Acer rubrum) to flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) to butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), there are almost 4,000 species of plants the U.S. Department of Agriculture lists as indigenous to North Carolina.
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Over thousands of years, those plants adapted to the state's climate and are now essential to local ecosystems and the survival of wildlife.
Conversely, the cooperative extension defines non-native invasive plants as “non-indigenous species that adversely affect the habitats they invade."Â
Bamboo, English ivy and kudzu are some examples to name just a few. Many of these were intentionally introduced with good intentions for the purpose of erosion control or privacy. But they got real comfortable here real quick and escaped beyond our control.
A couple of great teaching examples exist in public gardens across Greensboro. Volunteers with Greensboro Beautiful have been spearheading the removal of invasive plants in the Bog Garden and then planting natives in their place. Some of the most tenacious invasive plants there include running bamboo and fig buttercup (Ficaria verna). Control is a multi-year process, but progress is notable. Many of the replacements are blooming now, including columbine and fothergilla.
The Healing Garden at Cone Health Cancer Center provides us another chance to see what’s possible when a priority is placed on native plants. The beauty and biodiversity is instructive — go see it in every season to witness the wonder.
Landscape architect Sally Pagliai described to me how the site went from a wasteland of litter and weedy invasive plants to an oasis almost overnight. Simply bringing potted plants to the site attracted birds and other wildlife to a space that had been devoid of any fauna.
When designing new landscape spaces, I find that recommending plants that bring birds and pollinators is nearly always greeted with enthusiasm. I recently asked avid birder and Piedmont Bird Club member Ann VanSant what her favorite plants for birds are, and she quickly responded with crossvine and coral honeysuckle (hummingbirds), coneflowers and zinnias (finches) and mulberry (multiple species).
A focus on butterfly and moth host plants is an especially important strategy for providing birds with protein for their young. During nesting season, bird parents will collect hundreds of caterpillars per day to feed the nestlings, as the babies are unable to eat seeds or berries. Lest you worry that you’ll be sending the butterflies-to-be to their doom, consider that a female butterfly may lay up to 100 eggs at a time on their host plants. So if 95 of the caterpillars get eaten by birds, you’ll still have five new butterflies.
Planting for birds and butterflies is just one aspect of sustainable landscapes. But it’s an easy and fun one. Just plant it and they will come!