Natives Go Mainstream

 

Wildlife in my Yard

I love seeing the topic of using native plants get into more mainstream news sources. Margaret Renkl and Margaret Roach both occasionally use their columns in the New York Times to opine about native plants and their impacts. Columns about native plants get into regional papers too, like the Atlanta column of Charles Seabrook in the AJC and in smaller papers like this interview with me in the South Forsyth County newsletter to promote our native plant society chapter’s upcoming plant sale.

On even smaller scales, you have individuals who post about using native plants on hyperlocal neighborhood sites like Nextdoor and on social media like Facebook and Instagram. Small personal avowals and recommendations help spread the word way more than you might think so keep showing people your beautiful native plants and the wildlife that passes through your garden.

An earlier Instagram post from my yard

Back on the national scale, a TED talk came out this week from an ecological horticulturist (a person who designs beautiful landscapes that contain thriving wildlife habitat). This talk has been widely shared this week and already has over 300K views. The 12-minute talk is not unlike what many of us might say if we were chatting with an interested acquaintance (“Hey, did you know that ‘we must incorporate habitat everywhere, especially in the cities’?”).

It’s a great short listen and you’re sure to get some sound bites that you can use yourself (“lawns should be like area rugs”) and some good success stories to quote. You can also explore resources on her website (RebeccaMcMackin.com) and subscribe to her newsletter.

Locally, keep sharing your passion in your circles. We all can make a difference and amplify the message. [Just ask the guy at the phone store who listened to me talk for 30 minutes this week about why using native plants makes a difference while we were waiting for my phone data to transfer – all those plant photos, you know!]

Undergrown

 

This is a fabulous term to describe how poorly most modern landscapes are serving the natural community that they replaced. I don’t know where it started but this blog post by Nancy Lawson is where I got it. But I do see two aspects to this term.

First of all, when we devote excessive space to turf (regardless of whether it is native or not), we are probably not allowing enough room for diversity. There are so many different insects in our ecosystem that we need a diversity of plants to support a diversity of insects. So, as I said last week, let’s minimize our turfgrass to just the very little that we need for playing or satisfying our neighborhood.

Second, the way we plant our landscaped areas is too skimpy: a plant here and a plant there and then smother the rest of the space in mulch. This under-planting concept is addressed in a book from some years ago (almost 10 years now!) called Planting in a Post-Wild World where the authors advocate for dense plantings. 

The term ‘soft landings’ is a more recent approach to dense plantings and references the need for moth caterpillars to have a safe place to land once they are ready to advance to the next stage of life (cocoon).

Random internet photo to illustrate more mulch than plants

Both ideas reference a more natural planting construct where the ground layer of plants has a purpose, a purpose that is not satisfied by mulch or lawn. The purpose is to create a dense and diverse plant community that naturally suppresses the germination of stray seeds (that is, weeds), adds more native plants for insects, and provides a safe haven for insects that need to finish their life cycle in the ground (without being chopped up by power equipment).

This grouping includes Tiarella , Phlox stolonifera, and Carex

As you head out this spring with your shopping list and plans, be aware of the concept of having an undergrown landscape and strive to create full and productive gardens. Yes, you need MORE plants!

Columbine (Aquilegia) and Phacelia

March 2024 Moment in Nature

The modest beauty of spring ephemerals after the drabness of winter is special every year. We've had a lot of rainy days lately, and I finally got out this week to check on my trilliums (and the dang deer have already chomped 4 of them).

Trillium cuneatum

I was glad to see this one intact; it is natural to the property and I have watched it grow up in this spot. The colors are fresh and vibrant, with the 3 maroon petals not quite open. A tree fell down beside it a couple years ago and perhaps that has protected it.

Take some time to notice our spring wildflowers while they're fresh and make it #amomentinnature for yourself.

Interested in Georgia's special spring wildflowers? Read some of my previous spring ephemeral posts via this search link.

Lawns: Native, Not at All, or What?

 

Lawn is a human-maintained construct that originated in Europe in the 1700s among wealthy landowners that could afford to have people manage the space. The concept persists today as something to emulate even though a lawn provides little practical purpose most of the time. In the native plant groups and in the organization for which I volunteer, the following questions come up fairly frequently:

• How to create a “native lawn” using something like buffalo grass.
• What to use as a substitute, such native groundcovers, that can handle kids and dogs.  

I don’t like either of those ideas and I’ll tell you why. 

• A large expanse of a single species doesn’t offer a lot of diversity; so even if you could grow a huge buffalo grass lawn that is all you have in that space (a monoculture that is only marginally better than some exotic turf grasses but certainly better than Bermuda grass).
• Using groundcovers for the kids to play on or the dogs to run and pee on is – in my opinion – going to be disappointing in the long run. Turf grass is the best living option for heavy use. Of course you could use mulch, but the question is always about groundcovers.

There are other considerations with those approaches too: can you source enough buffalo grass (Bouteloua dactyloides), a full sun, shortgrass prairie species with spreading rhizomes that is primarily native to the Midwest? If you choose a groundcover, it would need time to get its roots established before you let those fast-moving little feet on it. 

In southern Georgia, a grass like St. Augustine (Stenotaphrum secundatum) would be a better option than buffalo grass. It naturally grows on sandy beaches in coastal areas; it spreads via with aboveground stolons (runners).

What would I recommend if you need turf-like areas for HOA requirements or you need a surface for kids and dogs: use turf grass but use it in as limited fashion as possible (and avoid known invasive turf species like Bermuda). For HOA requirements, have as small a strip as possible. For kids and dogs, use it only in play areas. Everywhere else, use productive plants: native perennials, shrubs, groundcovers, trees, and vines that feed and support insects and birds. 

Since pictures convey concepts better than words, I found some examples. Wild Ones has commissioned a series of residential designs for areas around the country that you might use for inspiration. They don’t have Atlanta, but the drawing for Chattanooga, TN or Greensboro, NC (shown below) are similar to what Atlantans might do. The turf areas are minimal.

Wild Ones Greensboro, NC design by Preston Montague

Once you've made your turf needs as small as possible, I also recommend that you consider the following resource-saving tips in managing it: 

• Mow it as seldom as possible, using a non-gas-powered mower if you can. In the summer, I mow every 3-5 weeks depending on rainfall.
• Don't irrigate it after the first year. Save money, save water!
• Don't apply weed/feed chemicals on it. Save money, reduce chemicals!
• Allow small native plants to move in and share the space. My lawn currently has violets, wood rush, dwarf cinquefoil, and even small ferns in it. I can hand pull the occasional weed because the overall space is small enough to make it a 20-minute effort or less on a pretty day.
• Shrink it over time. As my trees have matured, the edges have become shady and turned into more moss than grass.

I hope some of these ideas will help you reach a good solution for your space. No need to fear turf grass; just make it work for you. The goal is more overall diversity in your landscape and minimal grass of any kind equals more native plants that support your local ecosystem.

Once the ferns get too big, I relocate them

By the way, my turf grass is Zoysia and it was installed in 2004. Here is a link to some useful ideas about native alternatives.

Invasive Species: How Neglect Breeds a Problem

 

Today is the last day of this year’s Invasive Species Awareness week. You might think that native plant advocates would only talk about native plants, but unfortunately the presence and spread of invasive plant species negatively affect populations of native plants. Those of us who care about native plant populations and habitat have to educate people about both native plants and the impact of some exotic, invasive plants.

Photo: Richard Gardner, Bugwood.org

How do exotic invasive plants spread? First someone plants them, but what happens next is what makes them a problem. Their seeds spread: via wind, wildlife, and water. These seeds land in new places and create new populations. This spread may start slowly at first: it is said that Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) grew in gardens for years before it made the leap to invasive status. Yet by 2008, this exotic vine had disturbed over 10 million acres, far more than any other plant (including kudzu).

What happens next is the problem: neglect and ignorance. For example:

• People don’t realize an exotic plant has self-seeded into their property.
• Or they notice it but don’t recognize it and decide to do nothing.
• Or they notice, may even recognize it (like the honeysuckle), and decide to leave it (perhaps not realizing its invasive potential).

One plant turns into this over several decades

Years ago, ignorance was easy to understand. Resources to identify plants (“Ask Aunt Mary, she knows plants.”) were few and hard to obtain. Today, ignorance is no excuse. Plant apps can help anyone figure what they have. This is especially important when plants are just becoming invasive in an area; I have watched tree of heaven and princess tree slowly spread into north Georgia, in parks and on roadsides.

Princess tree (Paulownia)

So if you find something and you don’t know what it is, please take steps to figure it out. If you need help in Georgia, there is a good Facebook group, you can always reach out to the Georgia Native Plant Society, and your local extension office can help. Don't be part of the problem, be a part of the solution!

Some of my previous blogs on invasive plants:

Invasive Plants Give the Wrong Impression

Winter Weeds in the South

The Forest Less Diverse

Removing Invasive Plants Makes a Difference

Remove Invasive Plants Early for Best Results

The Sneaky Invasives: Porcelainberry

 

Kudzu is easy to recognize but it's not the worst