Native plants provide many benefits to people and wildlife, while significantly adding to healthier soil and water. Of the many benefits, my top six motivations for landscaping with native plants include: fewer fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and water. Plus, indigenous plants promote cleaner air, food, and shelter for wildlife, and they have proven to save money in many ways.
Excess phosphorus and nitrogen, main components of fertilizers added to our soil become toxic, and the runoff leaches into our waterways, causing excess algae growth. This surplus fertilizer depletes oxygen from our waters, harms aquatic life, and interferes with recreational uses. Pesticide and herbicide runoff from lawns can contaminate our rivers and lakes with poisonous substances. Native plants have deeper roots and require less water.
As to cleaner air, our native landscapes do not require mowing, and they do not need nearly as much maintenance. Lawns must be regularly mowed, weed-whacked, and often blown with leaf blowers. These tools cause harmful emissions and air pollutants like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and air toxins like benzene and particulates created from power tools.
Our native plants attract a variety of birds, butterflies, and other wildlife by providing diverse habitats, food, and pollinator sources. In contrast, non-native plants offer little or no food or shelter to most native wildlife.
Essential to many home gardeners is the need to save time and money. When compared to the high-maintenance of lawns and the added care necessary for exotic plants, it is easy to measure the economic benefits of landscaping with native plants. Planting with selective native plants can create a beautiful and scenic landscape.
References that were used in creating this article.
It is easier to list them here for your use than to insert them into the text, this way you can choose which one you want to follow.
University of Idaho Extension | Short-Season, High-Altitude Gardening
http://www.extension.uidaho.edu/publishing/pdf/BUL/BUL0862.pdf
Idaho Native Plant Society | Boise Area Native Plants Local Chapter: Pahove. http://www.idahonativeplants.org
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Native Garden Guide for Southwestern Idaho.
http://www.fws.gov/pacific/pdf/BLM_USFWS_Native%20Garden%20Guide_SW%20Idaho_2019_web.pdf
U.S. Forest Service | Basic Instructions for Native Plant Landscaping Projects.
https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/Native_Plant_Materials/Native_Gardening/instructions.shtml
