When deciding what to plant in your garden, you should consider including native trees and plants in your landscape installation. There are many ways that planting native plants will be beneficial for both you and the environment. Here are a few benefits:
Habitat for Wild Animals
Installing native plants on your property will make it a hub for wild animals. Along with deer, squirrels, and other animals, fostering native plants will draw huge numbers of bird and butterfly species. Because of the introduction of nonnative plants and climate change, the habitats and migration stopping points of birds and butterflies has been severely altered. These native birds and insects simply cannot survive on introduced plants and trees. By planting native plants, your yard will become a safe haven to migratory birds such as hummingbirds and ducks, as well as Monarch and Painted Lady Butterflies.
Saves Money
While native plants are great for the environment, they are also great for your wallet! Planting native plants helps you to save money in the long run, requiring less maintenance than many other plants. Native plants require less fertilizer and pesticide treatments as well as less watering.
Here are some of our favorite native plants that you can include in your garden today:
Common Milkweed
Don’t let the name fool you, the Common Milkweed is a great addition to your garden! The Common Milkweed can grow up to 5 feet tall, bearing baseball sized clumps of pink flowers. The Milkweed, along with bearing beautiful flowers, is essential food for Monarch Butterfly caterpillars.
Highbush Blueberry
The Highbush Blueberry is a native blueberry bush found across New York State. Along with bearing clusters of blueberries, the bush also has spectacular fall foliage. The bush does best in full sun or light shade.
Sneezeweed
The Sneezeweed is a popular perennial but is naturally found in New York’s meadows and open fields. The tall yellow flowers are a valuable source of food for the state’s butterfly and pollinating insects. The Sneezeweed enjoys a wonderful long blooming period in the summer.
If interested in a garden made from native plants, give us a call at (585) 381-9000 or visit us at tedcollinst-l.com for an estimate.