Native ONLY? I Don’t Buy It.

Recently a colleague was telling me about a customer who came into the nursery furious that we had nonnatives for sale. Ranting and going on and on about how we were not doing our part. Supporting people planting anything other than natives was wrong!

Here is one that might get me in trouble. I love native plants. I design with them. I teach about them. I want more of them in our landscapes.

But I do not believe every successful landscape has to be native only.

Native plants can provide tremendous ecological benefits. They have relationships with local insects, wildlife, soils, and climate that deserve to be protected and expanded. They should play a much larger role in our landscapes. But gardening does not have to become a purity test.

There are also well-behaved adapted plants capable of living successfully in our region without becoming invasive, demanding excessive resources, or displacing the ecological value we are trying to restore. As a horticulturist (Professional plant addict) I get giddy about the newest variety of Coneflower, Althea, perennial grass, or even Zinnia.

My preference is native first, not necessarily native only.

• Use natives heavily.
• Protect native ecosystems.
• Never knowingly introduce invasive species.
• Choose adapted plants thoughtfully.
• Design for diversity.

And above all, understand what you are planting and why you are planting it. The goal should not be winning an argument over who has the purest plant list. The goal should be creating healthier landscapes.

Good stewardship requires knowledge, not absolutes.