I've picked up a lot of knowledge about local plants and fungi over the last several years. There may be a lot that frustrates me in the world that I can't change directly, but I can change what happens in my own yard. So I've done what I can to add more native plants, get rid of invasive ones, and learn more about the world around me, that I'm part of.
For example, I used to hear about how certain plants were "good for pollinators", and so I just assumed hey, if it makes flowers, bam, there you go. And there is truth in that, but there's a more helpful truth a layer deeper. While non-native plants can help with providing nectar for pollinators, native plants help as HOST plants. That means, for example, that certain specific species not only access the flowers for food, but lay their eggs on the plants themselves, so that their larva can access the rest of the plant to feed and grow. Thus it supports a whole life cycle, not just a quick bite. Other plants can have flowers that certain species of native pollinators are attracted to, or make berries that wild birds can eat.
Meanwhile, invasive plants, while they can have flowers, provide no other specific needs to the habitat, and can be detrimental. They can crowd out native species (and very often do, see for example the English ivy that I've been removing from my yard), or even poison them, in the case of nandina or "heavenly bamboo" bushes. Their foliage is pretty, but their berries are poison to our native birds. And they spread like crazy.
If you have space for ONE tree to plant, make it a native oak species. The Quercus trees provide food/shelter/nesting space/larval support to over 200 species! In contrast, the invasive Tree of Heaven provides support to no native wildlife, spreads prolifically, and DOES host the invasive spotted lantern fly, which wreaks havoc on our crops. If those trees weren't here, that bug wouldn't be here either.
A few suggestions for some good native plants are of course milkweed (avoid tropical milkweed, it confuses monarchs about where they are in their migration, and carries a parasite that can kill them!), if you're in the southeast like me Butterfly Weed (Asclepias Tuberosa) is good, or Common Milkweed, which gets large but smells great (Asclepias Syriaca), or Red-Ring Milkweed which is gorgeous. Swamp Milkweed is good here too. They not only are great for feeding a variety of pollinators, but of course are host plants for Monarchs, who need our help. Over the last 20 years, they've lost 90% of their population...because of the loss of Milkweed, since it's the only place they can lay their eggs. If you plant one, it makes a difference!
If you need a good shrub, shrubby st john's wort has gorgeous yellow cheerful puffy flowers that pollinators love. It's also deer resistant, drought resistant, and a host plant for the grey hairstreak butterfly and several moth species.
Another easy one is Spiderwort. It grows in a tight mound of green leaves that almost look like a thick grass, and has gorgeous 3-petaled purple flowers that open in the morning and close at dusk. They are great for pollinators, and are host for the Golden Looper moth, among others. They come back every year and are also deer resistant.
Another benefit of many natives, is that they tend to be more resilient. They tend to be more tolerant of bad soil, have deeper root systems to help with water runoff, and are often drought tolerant.
If you want any tips on plants for your own garden, if you'd like to add a native plant or two to help out your local biome (every bit helps!) hit me up. I'd love to offer you advice. And if you need advice on getting rid of invasives, unfortunately I have a lot of experience with that too ;)
