LANDSCAPE NATIVE

What is a Native Plant?

A native plant is one which occurred within a defined region (like Canada, Ontario, or specifically, the Windsor region, for example) before settlement by Europeans.

A good example of a Native Plant is that which adorns our national flag; the Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum). 

The Sugar Maple is a tree that has been in North America for thousands and thousands of years (actually even longer). 

As such, the Sugar Maple as a Native Plant has evolved in the ecosystem, adapting to the climate (even as it gradually shifts over time) , our soils, our native insects, regional plant diseases, our herbivores and so on.Above: Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) - another beautiful native plant that can be used for urban landscaping. To find reliable sources of native plants, go to 'Do It Yourself' page. 

If visiting the south west, have a look at the Power of Plants - for use of Native Plants in other regions.

What is Not a Native Plant?

Sometimes called 'alien  or exotic species', a non native plant is one that is not indigenous to a given region.

These plants were brought into a region from somewhere else intentionally by humans, or inadvertently by a ships ballasts (in the case of aquatic plants), or by seeds in soil or by some other accidental means.

For example, Dames Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) (left), often mistakenly called 'Phlox' is an alien plant to Canada. This plant grows in great numbers in Central and Southern Ontario along road sides such as the 400 series highways.

Another troubling 'alien' plant still used commonly in gardens, is Periwinkle (Vinca minor).  Known to kill native trees, this commonly used plant will 'carpet' a forest floor, smothering  or choking any native plants nearby.

Try some native plant alternatives, like Running Strawberry (above right) for a ground cover that won't hurt the ecosystem.

European Reed Grass (Phragmites australis) (right), or Reed Grass is another example of a pretty non-native plant that has 'taken off' into huge expanses of homogenous growth - much to the entire exclusion of dozens of species of native plants that used to fill ecological roles such as feeding insects, which in turn are the basis of the food chain.

Native Plant Showcase:

Go and See at RBG:

It doesn't happen very often that a major Botanical Garden showcases native plants. Thankfully to some generous donations and some great planning, design and hardwork by staff and volunteers at Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington/Hamilton, ON, an inspiring creation was unveiled late last summer, 2008. The Helen M. Kippax Wild Plant Garden is must see at RBG.  Click here for directions to RBG and make the worthwhile trip to Canada's largest and leading Botanical Garden.

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Below (Left): Winged Burning Bush; Right: Japanese  Honey Suckle; while these non-native plants are pretty, they are really destructive to our ecosystems.

Why Use Native Plants?

1. Native plants provide the key food sources for insects; insects are critical for feeding birds and thus restoring high biodiversity.

2. Native plants support key insect pollinators, without which, our crops and natural land ecosystems would crash in devastation.

3. Planting native plants in our urban gardens helps save our ecosystems that are our lifelines to clean air, water and healthy soil.

AND OF COURSE...Native plants are beautiful!  

Running Strawberry (Euonymus obovatus)(right) - a great native plant alternative to the invasive alien Periwinkle (bottom left).

To find out more on where to get native plants see our 'Do It Yourself' page. 

Ok, Are Non-Native (Alien) Plants Bad?

No, they aren't bad. Non native or alien plants are native somewhere on the Earth, so of course they are beautiful in their own right and in their 'home ecosystems'. 

However, intentionally or mistakenly let them loose in a foreign 'neighbourhood' where their natural checks and balances (like insects that like to feed upon them for their life cycles) don't exist, and 'presto', we could have a serious situation on our hands.

Take for example, the plant in the photo below - Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata). This plant acts now in many cases as the only ground cover (yes, all the green you see is Garlic Mustard!). In this ecosystem, we would have seen dozens of plant species prior to the establishment of this non-native alien plant.

Some argue that non-native plants like Garlic Mustard are here to stay, so why bother worrying about them and trying to rid the local woods of this species?

Many non native species are indeed here to stay. However, native plants are proven to have far more advantages than their foreign counterparts. Once areas or sections of habitats or our yards are re-established with native plants, they form an 'integral wall' making it really difficult for invasive non-native plants to 'get a strong hold'. 

Not Going Fully Native?

Please consider some sobering facts: approximately 85 percent of the invasive woody plant species in the United States (and Canada) were introduced for landscape or ornamental use, and approximately 5,000 plant species have escaped into natural ecosystems (Quoted from www.sustainablesites.org).
  ~ Reichard and White, 2001; Pimentel et al., 2005

The choice is yours to make - if you choose to buy alien horticultural plants from other parts of the world please avoid the following species:

Please, Please Avoid Using These Invasive Plants:

Japanese Honey Suckle (Photo Left), Periwinkle (see photo above left), English Ivy, Autumn Olive, Norway Maple, Weeping Willow, Winged Burning Bush (Photo Left).

Please recommend more plants to stay away from as well as those to use as native alternatives. Contact Us.