May 7, 2010, Newsletter Issue #443: Drought Tolerant Plants

Tip of the Week

Native plants are great for the environment for a number of reasons. First of all, they're already adapted to your local climate, so they don't require much water (except during establishment).
 
Native plants also provide food, shelter, and nectar to a variety of wildlife and insects, including birds, bees, and butterflies. Nectar keeps both native bees and beneficial insects around, and native bees can pollinate better than honey bees and require no care other than a place to rest.
 
Butterflies also need native plants for nectar, to lay their eggs on, and to use as host plants for the caterpillars to eat once they hatch. Birds also eat the seeds and berries of native plants.
 

 
Native plants don't have to be boring. A hybridized native plant is still a native plant. For example, Echinacea, the plain purple cornflower, is native to much of the United States. There have been many new Echinacea introductions over the last few years, including different colors and different blooms, and all of them are still classified as native plants.
 
If you want to include native plants in your garden, start by identifying which plants are native to your area and learning their botanical names. Once you know that, all you have to do is ask about available hybrids and get started adding color and variety to your garden.

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