 EnviroCitizen.org thinks that native landscaping makes sense! After all , native plants of each region have evolved over a very long period of time to adapt to the local environment. Each region offers different environmental challenges for flora, such as wind, humidity, temperature and precipitation. By using native plants in your landscaping, you can reduce your water needs and ensure that you will have a thriving yard. For example, the Polynesians who settled Hawaii hundreds of years ago loaded their canoes with staples of their diet: pigs, taro, breadfruit and other edible plants. When they landed in Hawaii, they immediately set out to plant the plants that would sustain them. Weeks went by and they dug up the taro, expecting to see the same thing that they'd seen for dozens of seasons-a plump taro root bigger than a fist. What they saw, however, were tiny taro roots, no bigger than golf balls.
The Polynesians assumed that because Hawaii looked similar to the Polynesian islands, the same plants that they had survived on for generations would grow the same as they did back home. What the Polynesians didn't understand was that Hawaii was a lot different than the islands of Polynesia. Hawaii is almost three thousand miles to the north of Polynesia. Although the two places have many similarities, such as humidity, consistent trade winds and ample rainfall, they had one major difference-temperature.
The average temperature in Polynesia is in the low eighties. In Hawai'i, the average temperature is in the low seventies. You might not notice the difference, and you'd probably wear the same outfit in both climates. However, to a plant, ten degrees makes all the difference. Humans are eurythermic, a biological term that basically means that humans have a wide range of tolerance for temperature. Many plants, including the taro plant, are stenothermic; meaning that they have a very narrow tolerance range for temperature. Think of the end of the growing season in the United States. Your garden withers in the cold and dies, but you simply throw on another layer and adjust.
The example of the Polynesians mentioned above explains why native plants are so important for you to use in your yard. Plants that evolve in tropical, humid climates can possibly grown in your yard, but if you live in a dry, hot climate like the southwest you'll need to water it extensively to imitate its original environment. Similarly, if you live in the northwest, a plant that evolved in a dry, hot climate won't cope well with the cool, wet weather that you're accustomed to.
The idea behind using native plants in your yard is that native plants have evolved to do well in your specific climate. By utilizing native plants, you are doing many things. You are reducing your use of water and you are helping the local ecosystem to thrive. Some animals only eat the fruit and nuts of native plants. So, if you plant native plants, you will also be supporting native wildlife. EnviroCitizen.org encourages you to discovering the plethora of native plants available to you in a wide variety of sizes, colors and shapes! You may be surprised by all of the variety.
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