Keeping it Close to Home with Native Plants

by Alaina Salks, Riverview Gardens & Gifts

Native plants are species that have been growing in a specific region prior to European Colonization. These plants have numerous benefits both to the homeowner and to the biodiversity and environmental health of the region in which they grow.

Benefits of Native Plants:

Native Pennsylvania plants have adapted to the soil, climate, and pests of this region. They generally require less moisture, are more disease resistant, and can thrive in a variety of soils often without fertilizer. This means that they are often drought resistant and low maintenance! In fact, some native plants even IMPROVE the soil quality.

Native plants preserve the biodiversity of our region and are rapidly dwindling due to development. Many natural landscapes have now been replaced with lawns or exotic landscaping, leaving less and less space for natives to grow. Scientists now believe that this loss is a key aspect to collapsing insect populations and is affecting birds as well.

How can we help?

Plant more native in your existing landscape!

Some popular Pennsylvania Natives:

• One of the most popular native plants in southeastern Pennsylvania is Asclepias, commonly known as milkweed. Most people know milkweed as the host plant for the Monarch butterfly. Monarchs lay eggs on the Asclepias plant and need this precious nursery plant as it is an inextricable part of their life cycle. As milkweed populations decline, so do Monarch populations, which has created a nationwide push to restore the habitat of these plants.

• Milkweed also provides nectar for a whole host of insects like beetles, bees and other butterflies. There are multiple varieties to choose from! One of our favorites is the short, orange flowered Asclepias commonly called “butterfly weed.”

• Another popular native plant in southeastern Pennsylvania is Echinacea, or purple coneflower. This perennial wildflower is easy to grow and blooms in late summer. Echinacea attracts butterflies, bees, and other pollinators, and its flowers are pink to purple in color.

This year, we hope you’ll be inspired to enrich your landscape with native plants. Not only will you attract an array of pollinators, birds, and butterflies to your property, but you'll also be doing your part to restore vital habitats in the area. With a bit of effort, you could be the proud owner of an ecological haven!

• Rudbeckia, or black-eyed Susan, sports daisy-like flower blooms from late summer until the first frost, and its yellow flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators. Rudbeckia grows to about two feet tall and prefers full sun.

• Solidago, or goldenrod, is a native perennial that blooms in late summer and fall. Its yellow flowers attract butterflies and bees, and the plant is easy to grow and requires very little maintenance. Solidago is often falsely maligned as an allergy producing plant as it is easily confused with ragweed, a plant that many people are allergic to!

• Aster is another popular native plant in southeastern Pennsylvania. This perennial wildflower blooms in late summer and fall, and it prefers full sun and moist soil. Its purple, pink, or white flowers attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinators and it looks striking when planted with the yellow, Fall-blooming flowers of goldenrod.

Hba Events

THIRSTY THURSDAY HAPPY HOUR

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Shirley’s Café & Tequila Bar

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TECHNOLOGY TRENDS FOR THE HOME!

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Fox’s Remodeling Company

628 E 4th St

Boyertown, PA 19512-2102

Phone: 484-264-4732

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54 Midway Rd

Bethel, PA 19507

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Dolan Construction Inc