CONSERVATION CORNER: NATIVE PLANTS

Considerations for utilizing native plants in your garden

REGIONALLY AND NATIONALLY, native plants are gaining more attention. Native plants are species which have existed in a region for an extended period of time, most often prior to European settlement. These plants have evolved with the landscape and are adapted to the soils and climates of the region. As longstanding members of a community, these plants often have complex relationships with the entire ecosystem. In fact, native plants can survive and reproduce without human intervention.

The recognition of native plants and their helpful use in the landscape has existed for centuries. More recently, native plants have become a focus in landscape planning and in garden spaces.

Consider the benefits of choosing native plants in landscaping. Native plants minimize water and fertilizer input after establishment, build habitats, support dynamic relationships with animals, provide erosion control and ground water recharge, and support a sense of place. Their adaptations make them suitable to the region’s temperatures and weather. Gardeners may choose to use native plants in their gardens to attract particular butterflies or birds, provide specific structure, or have species that can survive in extreme conditions. Because native plants are so well adapted to the landscape, they will thrive. However, this can result in plants that sprawl and quickly reproduce. To manage this, utilize best garden practices. Native plants can be sculpted, edited, and cut back for a shorter bloom height to mirror the style of any garden.

IN MISSOURI, native flora originates from nine types of natural communities: caves, cliffs, forest, glades, prairies, savannas, streambeds, wetlands, and woodlands. Each of these natural communities has certain characteristics allowing them to support a specific range of plant and animal species. The native plants at Powell Gardens are most accurately represented in species found in the six natural communities below.

Forest

• Dense, closed canopy ecosystem defined by a midstory canopy and shrub later.

• Look for Pawpaw, mayapple, or wild ginger.

GLADES

• Grassland ecosystem characterized by shallow soils and rocky outcroppings.

• Look for Eastern Prickly Pear, Rough Blazing Star, and Purple Beardtongue.

PRAIRIES

• Full-sun communities with less than 10% canopy cover. Comprised mostly of grasses and forbs.

• Look for Wild Bergamot, Wild Indigo, and Prairie Phlox.

SAVANNAS

• Grassland with less than 30% canopy.

• Look for purple coneflower, purple milkweed, and lead plant.

WETLANDS

• Community where the water table occurs at or near the surface of the land, covering it with shallow water.

• Look for American Lotus and Cattails.

WOODLANDS

• Supporting forbs and grasses in the understory, this community has less than 90% canopy cover.

• Look for Celandine Poppy, Virginia Bluebells, and Woodland Pinkroot.