From the Ground Up: ‘Go native’ when it comes to landscaping your yard

Q: Everyone keeps talking about planting native plants. What are they and why should I plant them?

A: Good question. The emphasis on planting native plants is not a recent phenomenon but it has gained interest over the past few years. The 'go native' movement has been spawned by a greater awareness of ecological issues in general and concerns about the decrease in the numbers of pollinator creatures like bees and butterflies.

If you were born and grew up in Iowa, you are a native. Same thing with plants, only the term native for plants means the ancestor plants grew in this area before Europeans settled here. Some people even emphasize local plants that started out in specific places in Iowa.

Because they grew up in this area and are used to our wonderful Iowa climate, natives, including wildflowers, are hardier and will live longer. Native plants grow well in our Iowa soils and they usually require less care, including less weeding, less watering, and fewer (if any) pesticides. Native plants also have larger root systems, improving the soil where they are planted.

Plants that are not natives have been introduced into Iowa. Some are hybrids and while these plants are lovely in our gardens, they are not as hardy as natives and they may be less attractive or useful for pollinators like bees and butterflies. Other introduced plants become invasive, like purple loosestrife.

Another reason to plant native plants is their benefit to the ecosystem and their usefulness as habitats for wildlife. They provide protective cover for many animals, food sources for mammals, and food and nesting places for butterflies and birds.

This characteristic of native plants is important particularly to the insects and birds that pollinate plants. You may have heard that some of the major plant pollinators have been diminishing in numbers. Honeybees, the most important pollinator in the United States, have been dying in record numbers. Each year since 2006, about 30 percent of the honeybees don't survive the winter.

Without these pollinators, people and animals are losing even more food sources. Planting native plants that are traditionally great sources of food for the pollinators will replenish food resources for these creatures.

Natives go well in every home garden. Although many native plants and wildflowers do best in sun, you can find natives for shade. Be aware that some may 'grow like weeds,' so you will have to keep an eye on them. If you would like more information on native plants, check out the Iowa Native Plant Society at iowanativeplants.org or 'Plant Iowa Native' at www.tallgrassprairiecenter.org/plantiowanative. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center also has a list of Iowa Recommended plants www.wildflower.org/collections/collection.php?collection=IA. You also can call the Linn County Master Gardener hotline with native plant questions.

• Jean Murray is a Linn County Master Gardener. For questions, contact the Linn County Master Gardener hotline at (319) 447-0647.