Imagine for a moment that you are a bird flying through Northeast Ohio. (You don't know that it is Ohio, of course; you just know that this is the last resting place before that big lake.) Generations of your family have been making this trek for hundreds of years. Once, long ago, the shores were covered with forests and meadows. Places to rest in safety. Trees, shrubs and grasses with seeds ready for you to eat. These days it has become a lot more difficult. There are fewer safe places, and most of the plants don't seem to have the seeds that you need. Hmmm… that fruit looks good, but it is too big, and you can't get your beak around it. Hey! What is going on here?
What does your yard look like to a bird? Perhaps this is an odd question to ponder, but it is also more important than you may first consider. As open space disappears, it becomes increasingly necessary to look at our own landscapes as a refuge for wildlife. The multitude of native organisms, including plants, mammals, birds, insects and more, create an intricate web of life. A perfect and natural orchestration, each species' life cycle is highly dependent on the others'.
For example, spring wild flowers, such as skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), wild ginger (Asarum canadense) and bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), are pollinated by and provide their nectar to tiny flies. In turn, these flies become food for early spring birds. Before migrating in the fall, some of these birds switch to eating seeds and berries. It is no coincidence that the local endemic plants produce seeds and berries exactly when the birds need them. In addition to providing a form of food that allows the birds to build up a reserve of energy for their migration, the consumption of seeds and berries is also the best way to propagate the plants through bird droppings. This synergy illustrates how native fauna and native flora have evolved together and depend upon each other for survival in this and many other ways.
A typical suburban residential lot contains only five to ten species of plants, and most of them are usually alien to the site. Most lots are covered by an expanse of lawn, which is generally a sterile monoculture that limits the prevalence and diversity of any plants. Popular garden plants that have big flashy flowers usually never produce seed, and are therefore not a useful source of food for native animals. Trees from far-off lands produce fruit at the wrong time of year or in a size the local creatures cannot use.
Unfortunately, native plants, a vital part of the web, are being lost at an alarming rate. Removing a certain endemic plant from the landscape will likely eliminate the insect that feeds on that plant, which in turn may eradicate the bird that feeds on that insect. And this is just a simplified example. The loss of a single species can quickly escalate to effect an entire ecosystem. Overall, the widespread implications of the loss of biodiversity in this complex system are dramatic. In his book, Native Plants: Relationship of Biodiversity to the Function of the Biosphere, Paul Ehlrich explains that removing indigenous species from an ecosystem is like taking rivets out of an airplane wing. It is impossible to know which one will be the last one that was holding the whole thing together.
What does that bird see in your yard? Protecting and planting native plants will make your yard far more appealing to that bird and a slew of other species. Using your own green space to promote biodiversity of endemic plants can possibly help hold the web together.
When planting your garden or designing your landscape this season, consider, “What is native?” The simplest explanation is plants that have grown in northeast North America since before 1800. However, important distinctions can make the selection process more complex. For example, Red Maple is native to the entire eastern half of North America, but a Red Maple from the south may not do as well in Northeast Ohio as a Red Maple originally from Northeast Ohio. Look for local ecotypes, native plants that developed in this area and are best suited for the local climate and conditions. Whenever possible, a local ecotype native plant should be your first choice.
Keep in mind that the right plant must still be planted in the right place and at the right time in order to survive and thrive. A local ecotype native plant that naturally grows in a shady swamp will not do well if planted high and dry in a sunny garden bed. Learn to respect the contours and idiosyncrasies of your space. Distinguish between the low damp spots and the hot dry places in your garden and yard. There are native plants that will thrive in either place. Clay soil got you in a funk? Most plants native to this area have been living in clay for a long time and doing quite well. There is a native plant for every space in your garden.
Look at your yard as a bird would see it and visualize a space that is functional as well as beautiful. Native plants are hearty, they are beautiful and they are vital to the web of life, which ultimately supports us all.
Kathryn Hanratty is the owner of Enviroscapes Landscape Design in Chardon, Ohio. Her mission is to help restore the ecosystems of local backyards through the creation of beautiful, natural and practical landscapes. For information, please call (440) 477- 5468.
Photos courtesy of the Native Plant Society of Northeast Ohio and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
Native Plants Chart
For a printable PDF file of the chart click here.
