Why use native plants?
Native plants are those that naturally grow in an area, as opposed to those that have been brought from somewhere else. There are many reasons why these plants are a great option for your garden:
- Better resources for local wildlife. Because native plants evolved alongside local insects and animals, these plants are more likely to be used for shelter and food by these creatures than non-native plants. This means that your garden will better support local ecosystems. [1]
- More adapted to local conditions. Similarly, these plants have evolved to survive in your local climate. This will mean they need less watering, which will save you time and money as well as helping to preserve this important resource. [1]
- Prevents the introduction of invasive species. Invasive species are non-native species that out-compete native species, allowing them to overtake natural areas. This can pose a threat to endangered native species, and even once the invasive species is removed, native plant growth may still be inhibited by chemicals it released into the soil. By planting only native plants, you eliminate the risk of accidently introducing a new invasive species. [2]
How to plant a native garden
1. Consider your site
First, take a look at your site and its conditions. Is it a large space or a small space? How much sun does it get? How wet is the soil? Take note of these characteristics and anything else you think might be important.
2. Determine what plants to use
Now that you've determined the growing conditions of your site, use them and your location to decide what types of plants are the best fit for your site. Below is a table of wildflowers native to Southern Ontario organized by water and sun needs, but for other regions you can consult this guide (reference 2 below) for other parts of Ontario, or this site for the rest of North America, excluding Mexico. You can also check with your local conservation authority for a list of plants.
| Full Sun | Part Sun | Full Shade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry soil | Wildflowers: Pearly Everlasting Butterfly Milkweed Smooth Aster Sky Blue Aster Harebell Pale Purple Coneflower Longleaf Bluets Wild Bergamot Evening Primrose Hairy Beardtongue Virginia Mountain Mint Black-eyed Susan Heath Aster Hoary Vervain Grasses: Big Bluestem Sideoats Grama Trees: Red Oak Sassafras |
Grasses: Canada wild rye Switch grass Little bluestem Thimbleweed Heath aster Wild strawberry Common evening-primrose Foxglove beard-tongue Hairy beard-tongue Virginia mountain-mint Gray goldenrod |
Not commonly found |
| Moist soil | Wildflowers: Wild Strawberry Sweet Ox-eye Dense Blazing Star Foxglove Beardtongue New England Aster Common Milkweed Grasses: Little Bluestem Kalm’s Brome Virginia Wild Rye Switch Grass Indian Grass Bottlebrush Grass Shrubs: Staghorn Sumac Trees: White Birch Hawthorn White Ash Eastern White Pine |
Grasses: Fringed Brome Canada Wild Rye Shrubs: Witch-hazel Wild Red Raspberry Trees: Tulip Tree White Spruce Vines: American Bittersweet Running Strawberry Bush |
Wildflowers: White Baneberry Jack-in-the-Pulpit Bloodroot Twinleaf Poke Milkweed White Snakeroot Large-leaved Aster Canada Mayflower Hairy Solomon’s Seal Heart-leaved Aster Shrubs: Purple Flowering Raspberry Bladdernut Maple-leaved Viburnum Trees: Sugar Maple Serviceberry Blue-beech Ironwood |
| Wet soil | Wildflowers: Swamp Milkweed White Turtlehead Spotted Joe-Pye-Weed Sneezeweed Blue-eyed Grass Ohio Goldenrod Blue Vervain Tall Ironweed Grasses: Canada Bluejoint Bebb’s Sedge Porcupine Sedge Fox Sedge Riverbank Wild Rye Hard-stem Bulrush Soft-stem Bulrush Prairie Cordgrass Shrubs: Meadowsweet Buttonbush Red Osier Dogwood Highbush Cranberry Trees: Butternut Walnut Black Walnut Eastern Cottonwood Largetooth Aspen Swamp White Oak Bur Oak Pin Oak |
Wildflowers: Boneset Spotted St. Johnswort Michigan Lily Cardinal Flower Great Lobelia Bee Balm Green-headed Coneflower Rough-leaved Goldenrod Tall Meadow Rue Dutchman’s Breeches Grasses: Hop Sedge Shrubs: Silky Dogwood Common Elderberry Nannyberry Trees: Red Maple Silver Maple Pawpaw Bitternut Hickory |
Shrubs: Spicebush Trees: Black Maple Red Ash Eastern Hemlock |
Once you have your list of species, you can start collecting your plants.
3. Obtain plants
There are two main ways to start a wildflower garden: from seed or from living plants. Which you choose will depend on the size of your site and the amount of time and money you're willing to spend.
Planting from seed:
Planting native pants from seed is usually the cheapest option, and may even be free. It is also often an easy option, especially for larger sites. However, it may take a while before you are able to enjoy your garden.
The cheapest way to obtain wildflower seeds is to collect them yourself. Find a local area with native plants, such as a park or a friend's property, and use a field guide to identify and collect seeds from the native species you chose. It's important that you only collect a small amount of seeds from each plant so they can reseed themselves in this area. Because of this restriction, this method is probably only a good idea for planting smaller areas. It is also time-consuming, especially because not all flowers go to seed at the same time, which means you will need to visit multiple times to collect seeds from different species.
The other option for seeds is to buy them. This is a much more time-efficient option than collecting them, but care must still be taken. "Wildflower" seed packets from the grocery store may seem convenient but often contain many non-native plants or cultivated varieties that are not found naturally. For best results, seeds should be bought from a local native plant nursery, which will ensure they are actually native to your area. You can purchase seeds for individual species, or you may be able to buy a mix for common species you can simply spread across your site. [1]
Planting living plants:
While more expensive, this option will give you a beautiful garden very quickly. It is also a good option if you are looking to plant shrubs and trees, or if you just want to add a few native plants to an existing garden.
Unlike with seeds, pulling live plants from the environment is usually not a good idea. It disturbs the existing habitat created by the plants, which means your native plant garden will actually be hurting the environment. Instead they should be bought from a native plant nursery to ensure they have been grown sustainably. [1]
4. Plant your garden
Now that you have your plants or seeds, the final step is to actually plant your garden. Starting in the spring, clear out any non-native species from your site. This will prevent them from competing with your native plants. After this, you can begin to plant your plants. For seeds, scatter them across your site and cover with soil, following the package instructions. For live plants, first determine where you would like each plant to be, keeping in mind the full size of each plant, then get to work digging holes and planting. [1]
5. Care for your garden
Once you have everything planted, care is relatively easy. Since they are native plants, they will likely not need any fertilizer or pesticides. They will need some watering periodically to help them start their growth, but after the first year they should only need watering in cases of drought. It is important, however, to continue to remove non-native plants, to ensure the native plants have the resources they need to grow. [1]
6. Enjoy your garden!
Now that your garden is planted, you can enjoy the beauty of your native wildflowers and the wildlife they attract!
References
1. Delaney, K., Rodger, L., Woodliffe, P. A., Rhynard, G., & Morris, P. (2000). Planting the seed: A guide to establishing prairie and meadow communities in southern Ontario. Environment Canada. https://cwf-fcf.org/en/explore/monarchs/PlantingTheSeedGuideEstablishingPrairieMeadowCommunities2004-1.pdf
2. Sun, Y., & Junod, A. (2017). Invasive plants differ from native plants in their impact on native communities. Journal of Vegetation Science, 28(6), 1250-1259. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12582
3. Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority. (2007). A guide to celebrate Niagara peninsula's native plants. https://npca.ca/images/uploads/common/Native_Plant_Guide.pdf