The Benefits of Planting Native Plants in Your Yard

This week, we celebrated five years of living in our house. And a year or two into homeownership, both Brandon and I became obsessed with gardening and all things related to our backyard. Maybe it was COVID or the fact that we now had our own backyard for the first time after years of apartment living, but we were hooked, spending every weekend at the nursery plotting our next move.

In the fall of 2020, my mom and stepdad spent 19(!) days with us, helping us transform the backyard into what is now our favorite place to be — almost an extension of our living space. We (when I say “we” I mean Brandon and my stepdad, primarily) spread a truckload of compost, seeded the grass, created garden beds, laid gravel, removed debris, etc. day after day, sweating in the hot early-September sun. And before all that, our friends helped us demo a dilapidated shed we called The Murder Shed™️.

In the wake of this backyard transformation project, as we began to fill this blank canvas with new trees, shrubs, plants and flowers, we learned a lot about the importance of planting native species. It’s one of those things (like thrifting) that has benefits within nearly every single category. It positively affects both you as the gardener and the species that crawl along the ground you’re gardening — and so much more.

Just how beneficial are native plants? Here are some of the many reasons to go native in your garden this year!

They Require Less Water

During the heat of summer, water is one of the most precious resources in your garden. Just take one look at the spike in your water bill during the summer months and you’ll know what I’m talking about! Thankfully, native plants are well adapted to local environmental conditions like rainfall (or lack thereof), so they require less water to survive. Just look at those wild plants and flowers thriving along the side of the highway! No one goes out there with a hose to keep them hydrated.

…And Less Fertilizers + Pesticides

Similarly, native plants have adapted to the soil of their ecosystem, so they survive off whatever nutrients are available without the assistance of fertilizers. This will help keep costs down for you, but more importantly, it reduces the need for fertilizers and other chemicals, which will eventually runoff into storm drains and pollute our waterways. Not to mention, we (including our kids and pets) are coming into direct contact with these chemicals. Did you know that the traditional suburban lawn has 10 times more chemical pesticides per acre than an acre of farmland? No thank you. We haven’t really used any fertilizers or pesticides since our garden began in 2020, and we’re hoping to keep it that way! There are so many natural alternatives and tricks for keeping pests away — plus, part of the purpose of having native plants to begin with is to attract wildlife (but more on that later).

They Help Reduce Air Pollution

Fully native yards — such as wild no-mow lawns or ones using clover as grass — require no mowing. This helps remove the need for revving up that gas lawn mower on a weekly basis, which has a positive impact on the environment. Plus, native plants remove carbon from the air through the process of photosynthesis, pulling it deep into their roots to be released and trapped in the soil.

We have a non-native grass yard (fescue, if you’re curious) but we just purchased an electric mower at the start of this season! It has been amazing — it gets the job done, is super quiet and light, and most importantly, doesn’t emit harmful fumes.

They Provide Shelter + Food for Wildlife

This is one of the most key reasons for planting native plants. There is just so much complexity that goes into the natural world that we don’t even see — and can’t ever fully understand. God made such a beautiful, interdependent, connected world, and it never ceases to amaze me the more I learn. When you grow native plants, you are preserving those natural connections between the various organisms in your micro-ecosystem. All sorts of species, including birds, insects, and mammals all rely on very specific native plants for food and shelter, so when you provide those plants, you’re helping them survive and thrive. Native flowers in particular will attract a wide variety of pollinators, including hummingbirds, native bees, butterflies, moths and bats. Ever since we focused on native plants, we’ve seen a significant increase in birds, butterflies, bees and other insects crawling and flying in our yard. While some may consider some of them pests, we see it as a robust, diverse and thriving ecosystem!

They Are More Hardy

Similar to their reduced need for water or fertilizers, native plants are also adapted to local climate and weather conditions. So whether you live in an area that gets lots of rain, high winds, intense sun, or extreme low or high temperatures, native plants will be specially equipped to weather those conditions.

They Help Prevent Erosion

Because they are able to do so well (based on so many of the above-mentioned reasons), native plants develop deep, deep root systems, which then helps them thrive even more as they grow and get established. But there’s one more benefit we might not even be able to appreciate: these deep roots help prevent erosion in your yard. This can dramatically improve the landscape, as water is able to absorb into the soil instead of running off or even worse, causing flooding.

They Save You Money

So many of these factors, including less water, no fertilizers, and less maintenance (if you’re paying someone to maintain your landscaping), save you money in the long run. Plus, you’ll spend less money replacing plants that failed to survive every time spring rolls around. Don’t get me wrong — we have spent quite a bit of money with some failed plant experiments over the years, tweaking and figuring out exactly what does well in our unique climate. But we’ve come up with a list that does well and stuck with those for the most part! So if you invest in some native perennials that your gardening center experts can vouch for, you’re less likely to return a few months later to plant something in its place.

They Are Beautiful!

Native plants aren’t just practical — they are beautiful! Just search “native plants [your state]” and you’ll see a wide variety of flowers, shrubs and trees in a kaleidoscope of colors to choose from. And once you get them planted, you’ll discover the types you’re most drawn to, whether it’s bright pink flowers or deep green shrubs. Some of our favorite native plants (for Tennessee) include dogwood trees, black-eyed Susans, purple coneflowers, asters, woodland phlox, bee balm, and coral bells. We’ve planted most in our garden and all have done extremely well! We’ve also planted a few wildflower packs in both our front and backyard, which has been such a fun experience, as it’s such a surprise to see what will spring up (even though there’s a list on the back). But many of these packs are either designed for your particular region or are more likely to attract bees and pollinators! And of course, the end result is stunning.

Convinced?

Go native! Like I mentioned, search “native plants [your state]” to see a list of some top native plants. Or simply visit your local garden center, which may even have a native plant section — or someone who can steer you toward a few favorites!