Native species make your lawn truly green article and photos by Parker Briggs
You’ve algae blooms, heard of one of which the trend— in 2016 was so people profound the tearing up turquoise hue their lawns of Hood Canal to plant could be seen a garden from space. This Douglas aster is a pollinator magnet. of native algae growth, species. however, is Considering the great environmental accompanied by similarly exponential cost of traditional lawns, however, it is bacterial growth, causing an actually not that radical of an idea. ecologically catastrophic process called eutrophication, which creates oxygenAccording to a recent statistic released by devoid “dead zones” in the Sound. the EPA, the average American household uses 17,532 gallons of water annually on Native plants can help remedy this landscaping irrigation alone. To put that problem caused by lawns, as they create into perspective, that is equivalent to no such environmental degradation. nearly 11,000 toilet flushes. According to Bill Brookreson, a 13year native plant steward for the Because grass is seeded at an unnatural Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS), density, the nutrients native to the soil “Washington’s native plants have evolved are subject to rapid depletion. Lawns, over time to fit our rather unusual therefore, develop a dependence climate — the very wet winters and a on fertilizers. These fertilizers, which very dry summer.” derive much of their function from their nitrogen content, contaminate storm Brookreson went on to describe a plant’s runoff and enter local watersheds. adaptation to the local environment as a valuable asset. “Because of Ending up in Puget Sound, the nitrogen their evolution, after the plants are fuels algae growth, occasioning colorful established, they require very little water
INKWELL | MARCH 2020
if planted in appropriate conditions,” he said. “Our native plants also evolved to fit our native soils and do not require fertilizers.” There are a number of local nurseries specializing in native plants, and the movement to incorporate native flora in landscaping has been building
Native plants support pollinator insects and act as places of refuge and food for animals.
Lanceleaf coreopsis is the cousin of the prairie sunflower.
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