5. Why Use Native Plants?
What’s the big deal anyway, how much greater can one plant be from another? While it is good that you’re making any effort to add plant life to the world, and even better if you are using a species that doesn't need much water in our summer-dry climate, there are some really good reasons to use actual California native plants in your garden. I have separately gotten into what defines a California native plant, so now it is time to understand the advantages of their use:
1. Water conservation:
Let’s start out with the most practical reason - California native plants have evolved in this climate and are adapted to the seasonal rainfall that occurs here. All plants need supplemental water to establish their root systems, but once established, native plants don’t usually need anything beyond the natural precipitation that occurs each winter & spring. Some exceptions would be plants native to riparian zones where more water is naturally available; and in extreme drought years.
2. Low Maintenance:
Another key reason to use a plant that has evolved in your location is that it has adapted to the local soils, insects, and other wildlife. This means that they typically won’t need any fertilizing, so you can keep those artificial chemicals out of your yard. They also are normally less susceptible to soil borne diseases and insect pests (at least the native ones, there are unfortunately others in most developed areas). This does not mean, however, that California native plants require zero maintenance. Plants are living things that grow and change, and some effort must always be made to keep them alive and looking the way you want them to in your garden.
3. Habitat & Diversity Value:
This is an important way in which California native plants make a unique contribution – they allow you to restore pockets of natural habitat and begin to integrate our constructed world back into the local ecology. Scientific studies have shown that native plants specifically attract native birds and insects, especially the very critical native bee species. It seems a bit obvious when you say it but native plants provide high quality food and shelter for these native birds, insects and other organisms.
4. Sense of Place
This may seem a little philosophical, but I think you will be surprised when you experience it – having native plants in your garden connects you strongly to your regional environment. For example, having a Coast Live Oak in your backyard can remind you of the great hike you did through a forest of those trees, even make you feel like you’re still somewhere out in wild nature. To have outside your window the same colors, smells and textures as those in your favorite part of natural California, such as a Mendocino coastal bluff, is a great thing.
Why not use native plants? I would agree that there are times when the use of non-native plants is appropriate. You may want to re-create the sense of place of that Tennessee mountain stream from your childhood memories, have a spot for your favorite roses, or a productive vegetable plot. I would only encourage you to think of these as special moments in the garden, grouping them in distinct areas, especially to keep water, fertilizer, and pesticide usage to a minimum. Lastly, there are a wide range of so called “climate-adapted” plants that are native to other places on the planet with a similar climate. They can be used to great effect in gardens and still provide several of the practical sustainable benefits mentioned above. Look for a separate Blog article on the plants of the Mediterranean Climate Zone which coastal California belongs to.
Hopefully you now have the inspiration and the knowledge to seek out native plants for your garden. See the Resources section for information on native plant nurseries and public gardens where you can see natives in their full glory.
References:
California Native Plants for the Garden, by Bornstein, Fross and O’Brien
California Native Plant Society publications and website https://www.cnps.org/