We are very fortunately located. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of beautiful plants that are native to our area. Why is it useful to use native plants in your landscape? Native plants are a natural part of the native ecosystem and help to support the native wildlife in our area. They tend to require less maintenance, handle our weather well and require little to no chemical interventions relative to non-native plants. If you have planting constraints, you can almost always find a native plant option. On this page you will discover the definition of native plants, a list of some of the best starter natives, using native plants to support pollinators, some sources for further reading and of course some sources for native plants.

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From the Master Gardener Handbook

What Are Native Plants?

Native plants are those species that evolved naturally in a region without human intervention. Red maple (Acer rubrum), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), and butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) are examples of the over 3,900 species of plants the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) PLANTS Database lists as native to North Carolina. These plants developed and adapted to local soil and climate conditions over thousands of years and are vital parts of local ecosystems necessary for the survival of pollinators, insects, birds, mammals, and other wildlife.

Plants are not considered native to a region within decades or even centuries after introduction. To be native, they must originate in the region and co-evolve with other species over thousands of years. As these species evolve together, they adapt to the physical environment formed by local climate and weather conditions, soil types, topography, and hydrology.

Native plants form interdependent, highly specialized relationships with other organisms that are necessary for each other’s survival. Replacing natives with plants from other regions cannot replicate the complex interactions that naturally occur.

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Link to Master Gardener Handbook Chapter on Native Plants

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