Introducing native plants into your landscape can create a food source or cover for the endangered species in your own neighborhood
Most modern landscapes that you see in your neighborhood have very little to no native plants included in them. The design and overall look of the landscape may look great with perfect balance, an established style and plenty of color. With that being said a non-native landscape provides no food for local insects or wildlife and will tend to create a sterile environment where nothing living will go. We have been brainwashed into thinking that this is the ideal environment for our suburban lifestyles with no long grass where snakes might hide or native shrubs with berries because they might attract birds that will poop on our cars. It really is sad to see, people that are afraid of nature, or at least do not want it anywhere near where they live.
Local species are moving out of suburban areas because they no longer can find the food they need among those types of landscapes. It really can be as simple as the choices you make at the plant nursery or what you tell your landscape designer you want in your yard. Most landscape designers push native plants because they have been educated about their necessity in a healthy natural environment but most will not push back against a client that is do not see natives value. Most of the time clients will say the same thing, “I don’t want to trim anything, so it can not get to big and it has to be low maintenance.” This eliminates many natives because in order to stay small with your plant choices designers have to go with dwarf varieties. This means using a lot hybrids which look like the native cultivars but often do not provide the nutrients that birds and insects can recognize.
This does not mean that we have to convert our whole yard to wildflowers and get rid of any plant that is not indigenous. We can devote a small corner of the yard where we let the tall fescue grow long and plant a few elderberry shrubs or some low growing perennials if you want to start a little smaller. Provide some habitat for the local rabbit population or the family of skunks that travel thru the neighborhood. You will be amazed at how interesting your yard can become with just a few, small changes.
Many plant nurseries in your area might have only a small selection of native plants and for this reason you might have to travel a little farther to get the good stuff. Every town has an off the beaten path native plant dealer that will give you everything you need and will also have the knowledge of where to plant them. So give natives a chance this spring when deciding what to plant in that empty spot where that cool cultivar died from last year (Native plants have a much higher survival rate) and at the same time be a contributor to the local animal food source.