WHY SHOULD I USE NATIVE PLANTS?
by Nathan Walker, Franz Witte Garden Center Horticulturist

Native plants are more than just water-wise choices for xeriscaping your yard—they form the backbone
of complex ecosystems! When native plants are displaced, entire ecosystems can be dangerously strained.

Take the globe mallow bee, for example. This native bee has a specialized relationship with globe
mallow plants, relying exclusively on their nectar. Without globe mallows present in their environment, those bees cannot hope to survive. The same is true for another example that many are familiar with – monarch butterflies! They depend on milkweed and dogbane plants as their only food source
during their caterpillar stage.

Ecosystems are intricate networks of co-dependent species, finely balanced over countless generations. When humans clear land, build structures, and introduce non-native plants, we contribute to disrupting some delicate ecological connections. On a large scale, we run the risk of causing an ecosystem to collapse and some plant, animal, and insect species can experience extinction as a result.

Here in the Treasure Valley, both globe mallow bees and monarch butterflies have become rare due to our landscaping practices. But this doesn’t have to be the case. By rethinking traditional landscaping
and embracing our native plants, we can restore biodiversity and preserve a more beautiful world for our future generations to enjoy.

Consider your lawn—before it was carefully curated turf, it was an entirely different habitation filled with diverse native plants that local wildlife relies on. When balancing the beauty of a landscape and the health of the environment, it is important to make mindful choices. For example, some plants can grow here but take a lot of resources to maintain. Some of these plants can be a great landscape for the aesthetic you want to achieve, but if your entire yard is full of plants that disregard the balance of the natural environment, you’re ultimately doing more harm than good.

You don’t have to overhaul your entire yard overnight. Start small—replace a section of grass with a patch of native flowers or plant some milkweed in your garden. Even small changes can make a big difference. Every choice we make shapes the future!