November 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 36
C O N S E R VAT I O N
Planting Native is a Matter of Life or Death
By David G. Davis
A
s dramatic as the headline of this article may sound, the statement is true
for many species. To paraphrase Doug Tallamy from his book Bringing
Nature Home, native insects have evolved to eat native vegetation and
cannot survive on non-native plants. Since insects are food for a host of critters
like birds, toads, salamanders, lizards, fish and foxes, they're critical to the food
web. Millions of Americans have a birdfeeder. Unfortunately, baby birds don't
eat seeds - they eat insects. Man's activities have displaced native plants in favor
of roads, farm land, lawns and landscape plants from other parts of the world.
Although Tallamy's observations seem basic enough, there really hasn't been much
information on the matter until his book debuted in 2009. The point is to use more
native plants and spread the word about the importance of using native plants. So,
now that the truth is out and we can do something about it - what next?
The cure is simple: Plant more native plants. Some folks balk at the idea
of planting native as images of unruly
landscapes or the wildflower experiment that went wrong dance in their
heads. Native plantings don't have to
look, for lack of a better word, wild.
There's an immense selection of native
plants available - many are as well
suited in a formal setting as a natural
34 Parks & Recreation
one. Anyone from a homeowner to the
park superintendent can be successful
with natives. Forget stereotypes, take
stock and get started.
Begin by assessing the site. It's not
only important to know what native
plants are already there but also what invasive plants are there. It's critical to be
aware of these alien invaders like kudzu, English ivy and porcelain vine be-
| N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | w w w. N R PA . O R G
cause they gobble up woodlands, vacant
lots, stream banks and other areas that
would support native plants. So it's very
important to remove invasive plants to
allow room for natives. Many landscape
architects include invasive plants in their
plans. Insist that these not be included.
Most states have an invasive species list
online. Removing all invasive plants
may not be practical, but not continuing
to plant them is a no-brainer.
For the park manager, landscape
professional or guy down the street,
the opportunities for using natives are
limitless. There are native plants that
do well in almost any situation. A favorite pro tip is to get outside and see
which plants grow well in what areas.
Observing nature is way to sharpen
understanding of plant communities.
Even a golf outing or fishing trip is an
opportunity to observe plants. Public gardens, parks, schoolyards and
November 2014 - Parks & Recreation
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2014 - Parks & Recreation
November 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 1
November 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 2
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