Why You Should Go Native

The plants best suited to your area are those nature put there. Check with your County Extension Service for ideas and sources. The trick to incorporating native plants is to get rid of any images of perfectly mowed grass surrounded by a neatly trimmed hedge. Wander out into the country and look at how nature arranges plants. A word of caution is necessary here. Not only is it bad manners to go out and lift plants from the wild, in many cases it is downright illegal. Check with your local Audubon Society Chapter or native plant society to determine whether a plant is endangered. Removing endangered plants from the wild is prohibited, and even collecting seeds from such plants may be restricted. In the case of others, you must have permission from a private property owner before digging up desirable natives. You can, however, make note of the plants you want, and gather seeds in the fall. Going native doesn't necessarily mean including only local plants in the landscape. Your hometown surely is unique, but there are other regions throughout the world with similar climateslatitude, altitude, and distance from large bodies of water. Plants from similar zones often grow equally as well in one as in another. For instance, Rugosa roses, native to the Far East, thrive in seaboard towns everywhere. Alpine plants from Switzerland flourish in rock gardens in Minnesota and Oregon. Cacti from Arizona prosper in any dry area. The idea is to use plants found in similar regions.