Blooming Better Communities: Native Plants and their Benefits

• Kayla De Brito, Plant Science, University of Delaware

• Blake Moore, Cooperative Extension, University of Delaware

Native plants can be incorporated into daily landscapes and have positive impacts for both people and ecosystems. The most common and effective way to use natives is in meadow plantings; hubs for wildlife that are a balanced mix of native grasses and forbs (broadleaf plants like wildflowers). In these plantings, birds can eat seeds from old flower heads and take shelter in grasses during the winter; native bees can dance across flowers collecting pollen; and butterflies flutter about drinking nectar. Beyond these benefits, one of the most important uses of a meadow is shelter and breeding grounds for native predatory insects, such as ladybugs, lacewings, dragon, damsel, and hover flies, and many more! They eat common human and plant pests like aphids, mosquitoes, mites, and scale. Additionally, meadows improve soil health and water quality. Their variety of roots act as filters to keep trash, chemicals, and nutrients (a major pollutant of surface water) from getting into waterways, and they reduce flooding and runoff. Maintaining a meadow is more labor-intensive within the first three years of life, but the maintenance requirements will significantly decrease as time goes on. Gathering 1-2 times a year for maintenance will help plants get established with less competition. Once they have taken root, they can fend off weeds with minimal human input. Meadows are not the only way to incorporate native plants, adding native wildflowers to traditional landscapes provides food and homes for native insects. A community effort to use more native plants will lead to community benefit. Pollinator attraction will improve the output of gardens and pest control will lead to bug-reduced summers and protection of shrubs and trees. Overall, native plants improve the lives of people and local wildlife, help them thrive and stay protected, fostering a beautiful and beneficial landscape.