1. Native plants don’t need special attention, fertilizers, or pampering.  Once established they are  hardy, resilient, low maintenance, and less susceptible to disease and pests.  

​

2. Native plants help with water conservation and soil health.  They are well adapted to their regions and consequently require less water, improve soil health, their deep roots help prevent erosion, and they reduce flooding by capturing runoff.

​

3. Native plants provide food, shelter, and habitat for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.  They also form the foundation of healthy local ecosystems. Once you start planting native plants, the wildlife (birds, butterflies, pollinators, etc) will follow. “If you plant it, they will come”, and it can be such a treat to watch them! 

 

4. Native plants support biodiversity.  They are essential for local pollinators, birds, and animals, which co-evolved with them. And species diversity (both plant and animal) is crucial for ecosystem health. The less species of native plants, the less species of wildlife that can be supported.

 

Additionally, many insects and animals have developed very specialized and dependent relationships with specific native plants. For instance, the monarch caterpillar can only eat plants in the milkweed family. Winecup bees forage on the pollen of the Winecup flower. The Golden-cheeked Warblers require Ashe Juniper trees (also known as Cedar) for their nests and only reproduce in central Texas where these trees are plentiful.  If they can’t find these plants then they can’t survive in their absence. Therefore when native plants are added to our landscapes it can be incredibly beneficial to supporting biodiversity.​

​

5. Native plants can enrich our lives.  When native plants are planted with intention and/or design they provide a refuge for both humans and wildlife to co-exist beautifully to the mutual benefit of each other.