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birdfeedingThree Weeks for Dreamwidth runs April 25-May 15. This year, I'll be posting about birds in honor of birdfeeding. Today's topic is The Importance of Native Species.
The most important thing about gardening for birds is to plant native species. That means plants which naturally belong where you live. (There is a surprisingly wide range of definitions for "native plant" though -- explore them and decide which you prefer to use. Bear in mind you will be graded by your wildlife, who give zero fox if your tastes diverge from theirs.) These plants produce fruit, seeds, and other foods that birds recognize and like. They also often host insects, such as the caterpillars that birds need to raise their chicks.
34 HOST PLANTS FOR BUTTERFLIES & CATERPILLARS (NEW GUIDE)
Native Birds Need Native Plants - Maryland News
Why Native Plants Are Better for Birds and People
What counts as "native" depends on where you live. You can look at broad regions or smaller biomes. Habitat maps can help. Check out this ecoregion map of Washington. Nurseries often divide space by regions. To find natives for your area, try searching "native plant species" + (your state or other region).
Mapping the Habitats of the World
Native Plants by State - Find Natives Near You!
Native Regional Wildflower Seed Mixes
PLANT LISTS & COLLECTIONS
Prairie Moon Nursery Plants
Regional Wildflower Mixes (with maps)
Planting native species has many benefits. They take less work to maintain, and some require none at all once established. No herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers are needed -- and little or no supplemental water if you choose plants tolerant to heat and drought. (My go-to xeriscape plant is sunchoke, a native sunflower with edible tubers and bird-pleasing seeds; when even the weeds were wilting, the sunchokes soaked up the sun and begged for more. Grow from seed or seedling tubers if you can find them; if you have to plant clones, get several different cultivars with different traits to produce seeds, because they won't self-pollinate.) Many native plants are good for controlling rainwater and erosion. Native species rarely run rampant and cause trouble, whereas exotic species may become invasive.
12 Reasons You Should Grow Native Plants
27 Drought-Tolerant Native Plants for the Prairies
How do you create a low-maintenance front yard with native plants?
Landscaping with Native Plants to Ward Off Invasives & Benefit Wildlife
Plant natives for a low-maintenance, wildlife-friendly yard
Sunchoke Seeds
Water Smart: Steps to Establishing Your Native Plants
Xeriscape Plants: 35 Drought-Resistant Options
Many popular landscaping species are not native. These offer little or no food for wildlife; exotic trees may have no caterpillars at all. Also, domesticated cultivars of wild species (or "nativars"), such as differently colored echinacea, often lose features that wildlife needs because they waste energy looking pretty instead of producing abundant nectar, pollen, and seeds. In fact "cut flower" cultivars purposely breed out pollen production so they don't rain dust on your tabletop, so ignore all those when shopping for wildlife plants. Maddeningly, that wipes out almost all the sunflowers. Shop for open-pollinated or landrace sunflowers, as these tend to have abundant pollen, nectar, and seeds.
Exotic Plants Starving Birds! 12 Things You Can Do to Help
Plant This, Not That
Why Non-Native Plants Can Be Harmful
birdfeeding. Today's topic is The Importance of Native Species.The most important thing about gardening for birds is to plant native species. That means plants which naturally belong where you live. (There is a surprisingly wide range of definitions for "native plant" though -- explore them and decide which you prefer to use. Bear in mind you will be graded by your wildlife, who give zero fox if your tastes diverge from theirs.) These plants produce fruit, seeds, and other foods that birds recognize and like. They also often host insects, such as the caterpillars that birds need to raise their chicks.
34 HOST PLANTS FOR BUTTERFLIES & CATERPILLARS (NEW GUIDE)
Native Birds Need Native Plants - Maryland News
Why Native Plants Are Better for Birds and People
What counts as "native" depends on where you live. You can look at broad regions or smaller biomes. Habitat maps can help. Check out this ecoregion map of Washington. Nurseries often divide space by regions. To find natives for your area, try searching "native plant species" + (your state or other region).
Mapping the Habitats of the World
Native Plants by State - Find Natives Near You!
Native Regional Wildflower Seed Mixes
PLANT LISTS & COLLECTIONS
Prairie Moon Nursery Plants
Regional Wildflower Mixes (with maps)
Planting native species has many benefits. They take less work to maintain, and some require none at all once established. No herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers are needed -- and little or no supplemental water if you choose plants tolerant to heat and drought. (My go-to xeriscape plant is sunchoke, a native sunflower with edible tubers and bird-pleasing seeds; when even the weeds were wilting, the sunchokes soaked up the sun and begged for more. Grow from seed or seedling tubers if you can find them; if you have to plant clones, get several different cultivars with different traits to produce seeds, because they won't self-pollinate.) Many native plants are good for controlling rainwater and erosion. Native species rarely run rampant and cause trouble, whereas exotic species may become invasive.
12 Reasons You Should Grow Native Plants
27 Drought-Tolerant Native Plants for the Prairies
How do you create a low-maintenance front yard with native plants?
Landscaping with Native Plants to Ward Off Invasives & Benefit Wildlife
Plant natives for a low-maintenance, wildlife-friendly yard
Sunchoke Seeds
Water Smart: Steps to Establishing Your Native Plants
Xeriscape Plants: 35 Drought-Resistant Options
Many popular landscaping species are not native. These offer little or no food for wildlife; exotic trees may have no caterpillars at all. Also, domesticated cultivars of wild species (or "nativars"), such as differently colored echinacea, often lose features that wildlife needs because they waste energy looking pretty instead of producing abundant nectar, pollen, and seeds. In fact "cut flower" cultivars purposely breed out pollen production so they don't rain dust on your tabletop, so ignore all those when shopping for wildlife plants. Maddeningly, that wipes out almost all the sunflowers. Shop for open-pollinated or landrace sunflowers, as these tend to have abundant pollen, nectar, and seeds.
Exotic Plants Starving Birds! 12 Things You Can Do to Help
Plant This, Not That
Why Non-Native Plants Can Be Harmful
