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Definition of native species
Why use native plants in landscaping?

To learn more about using native plants in landscaping (sustainable landscaping)

To plan native landscaping
To hire a native-friendly landscaper
To buy or trade native plants or seeds

To prepare, construct, plant and manage my site

Definition

Native species are plants, 🍄︎ fungi or 🐟︎ 🐢︎🐇︎ animals that:

have been in that location for a while,
presumably are part of the local ecosystem, and
do not damage the local environment, 📈︎ economy or ⚕ human health.

Why use native plants in landscaping?

The advantages of wildscaping are many:

More 🐦︎ songbirds, 🐝︎ pollinators, and desirable animals.
Fewer pests.
You can start very small, and if it works well, expand a bit more next year.

color drawing of Root System of Prairie Plants, by Heidi Natura, 1995, select to view full-size, with info on prairie plants

drawing of Root System of Prairie Plants, by Heidi Natura, 1995, select to view full-size

May break up problem soils—see diagram above or at right—look at the difference in root depth!
Reduced ♒︎ water use after the first year—see diagram above or at right—look at the difference in root depth.
Less management after the first few years—prairies take a lot of work to establish.
A way to reconnect with your local area.

The effects of replacing exotic landscaping with natives are dramatic. For a few years, we have seen an increase in the number of butterflies and 🐦︎ birds in our yard. I expected that—my wife (with some 💪︎ muscle from me) had been slowly replacing some of our plants with natives. Nothing radical, but if a non-native died or was doing poorly, we replaced it with a native. Part of our lawn morphed into a small prairie. Some plants got moved. One day, I realized it had been three years since we had put out traps for those big green hard flying Japanese beetle Popillia japonica. Weird. I looked around, and saw that we had crossed some threshold, maybe from 30% natives to 50% natives, and we no longer had any issues with the annoying green bug. Apparently, you don't need perfection to restore some balance to your local ecosystem. And my wife recalls that during the Drought of 2013, our Wild Area was the only part of our yard that didn't suffer. Extraordinary!

On a larger scale, our local Ranger Steve—and family—turned part of their larger property into an unofficial Ody Brook Nature Sanctuary, named after their dog. Here are Ranger Steve's tips to restore biodiversity where you live. [1]

On a smaller scale, perhaps you have an apartment, with room only for a few pots. Even a single pot containing a native wildflower (in my area, perhaps butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa ) could refresh a tired migrator (in my area, perhaps monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus ), allowing it to reach someone else's yard down the street, and then a larger project—perhaps at a park or school. Small steps can still help!

A society grows great
when old [wo/]men plant trees
whose shade they know
they shall never sit in.

— Greek Proverb.

Combining private efforts like the above with public efforts like parks and wildlife sanctuaries, The Half Earth Project seeks to allocate half the area of 🌏︎ our planet for nature's use. I do not yet understand the details, but the concept is intriguing!

References

^[1] Steve's actions are supported by the flip-side argument "Redefining Curb Appeal: Homeowners are recognizing the value of replacing front lawns with native plants." National Wildlife Federation. March 30, 2015. Accessed 2018-11-15.

To learn more about using native plants in landscaping

See the video above or left, on creating the Forest Garden: integrating local ecology, food production, and our desired lifestyle. For full effect, display the video via icons ▶ Play, then ⛶ fullscreen, ㏄ captions, and × or Skip Ads ⏯.
In 🇨🇦 Canada and 🇺🇸 USA, please see this list of native plant societies.
In 🇺🇸 USA's center and east, attend educational programs and field trips of your local chapter of Wild Ones (a group of native plant enthusiasts) (Facebook).
In 🇺🇸 USA's New England, attend educational programs and field trips of the New England Wild Flower Society.
Watch video above or right, of talk 🔥︎💦︎🌱︎☀🌾︎🐛︎🐦︎ Plant Natives by Doug Tallamy in 2015. For full effect, display the video via icons ▶ Play, then ⛶ fullscreen, ㏄ captions, and × or Skip Ads ⏯.
Or read anything by Doug Tallamy, such as article Gardening for Life (.pdf pages 8 and 9) or book Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants —explains why and how—🔥︎💦︎🌱︎☀🌾︎🐛︎🐦︎!
Awesome Wild Ones handbook Landscaping with Native Plants (.pdf page 2).
Look into film Hometown Habitat by Catherine Zimmerman—the best explanation I have seen!
Trailer and 37-min interview with trailer at end. For full effect, display the video via icons ▶ Play, then ⤢ or ⛶ fullscreen.
Film review. The film itself (check groups above for group showings).
Listen to the native plant podcast.
Listen to podcasts, view videos, or read articles at EcoBeneficial! with Kim Eierman. Thanks for the tip, Amy!
In 🇨🇦 Canada and 🇺🇸 USA, for recommendations on which species to plant, please see the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's special collections.
Read about rain garden (rainscaping) (bioswale) and prairie site selection, design, 🚧 construction and management (.pdf).
Read about Plant Hardiness Zones vs. Ecoregions and lots of other articles from Habitat Network/Yardmap/Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Questions to ask—a Natural Areas Site Analysis Guide (.pdf).
Learn more buttons at bottom of this page.

To learn about sustainable landscaping

See the video above or left, on sustainable landscape design, from Growing A Greener World.
For full effect, display the video via icons ▶ Play, then ⛶ fullscreen, ㏄ captions, and × or Skip Ads ⏯.

To plan native landscaping

On a community scale, The Politics of Planting Natives: How One Village Went Wild.

On a personal scale, 👥︎ some people plan their landscaping to attract local 🐦︎ songbirds and charismatic megafauna, by using native plants that will feed them:

directly (via their fruit, flowers or leaves), or
indirectly (by feeding local insects, that will then feed your desired animals or their young).

👥︎ Some people plan their landscaping to enhance ecosystem diversity and complexity.

Both groups may plan out their landscaping using several layers:

Canopy trees layer, consisting of original mature trees.
Please leave standing old dying and dead trees, to provide food and nesting space for woodpeckers and other 🐦︎ birds and 🐢︎🐇︎🐜︎🐛︎ animals.

Small trees layer, forming the "middle story" of the woodland plant community.
Native examples in North America. Kelly D. Norris recommends tupelo genus Nyssa.
Shrub layer of bushes.
This author's family removed a lot of this in our backyard, to make room for the other layers. Kelly D. Norris recommends viburnum genus Viburnum.
Herbaceous layer of vegetables, herbs and forbs. These may be combinations of:
◦ Annuals. Easiest to move around and play with.
◦ Biennials. Can move around.
◦ Perennials. Be patient. In North American areas to which it is native, Kelly D. Norris recommends prairie smoke Geum triflorum.
Ground cover layer of plants that spread horizontally.
Rhizosphere or underground layer of plants grown for their roots and tubers.
Vertical layer of vines and climbers.
Kelly D. Norris recommends clematis genus Clematis.
🍄︎ Fungi kingdom Fungi. You need good soil—soil that has structure, is complex, and alive!
Nitrogen fixers, somewhere in the above mix. Kelly D. Norris recommends legumes milkvetch genus Astragalus native to your area.

In North America

What native plants you can plant over a septic drain field
NWF's Trees for Wildlife guide: Planning, Planting and Caring for Trees (.pdf)
Ten Steps to a Successful Wildflower Planting
Rain garden (rainscaping) (bioswale) and prairie site selection, design, 🚧 construction and management (.pdf).

Mapping tools

Begin with as much biodiversity as you can fit or afford.

— Steve Keto.

Martha's Laws of Gardening:

If a plant in your yard isn't doing anything for you (particularly if not providing any ecosystem services), get rid of it.
If possible, identify a replacement ahead of time.

If a plant isn't happy where it is in your yard, move it.

If you need a new plant, think about what you want there. Consider a native.

I am now less willing to fuss.

— Martha MacCleery.

To plan native landscaping in North America

Your jurisdiction may have rules about what kind of tree you may plant:

If planning for public lands in Michigan's town of Grand Rapids, see the Grand Rapids Approved Tree List.
Lots of links on tree selection and management!

You may want to see your site's pre-settlement vegetation cover:

In Michigan, you can:

See the interactive map Michigan Circa 1800 Presettlement Vegetation Cover > zoom in and pan > click on your site > scroll down a bit and read your natural community from Attribute=COVERTYPE. For example, we found that our favorite site is Oak Opening, but near W Oak/Hickory.

If you want a much more difficult but prettier method, you can instead:
(A) See the gorgeous Vegetation circa 1800 maps from Michigan Natural Features Inventory MNFI (.pdf) > yourCounty > zoom in and pan. Awesome.
(B) But to find your particular site on the map, you probably need to know your site's:
◦ township name,
◦ township section number, and
◦ where your site is within the section.
You can get these from:
◦ your property description;
◦ your tax rolls;
◦ Bureau of Land Mgmt BLM > application Land Catalog > zoom in and pan; or
◦ your county's GIS ( Kent Co > turn on Layer=PLSS Sections) ( Montcalm Co > Parcel Viewer) ( Ottawa Co ).
For example, we found that our favorite site is in section 32, near the middle E-W, but 90% up N-S.
(C) Go back to the MNFI map in (A), and read off your site's natural community!
For example, that puts our pre-settlement vegetation right on the edge of two colors. From the Legend, these two colors seem to map to mixed-oak savanna or pine barren; and oak-hickory forest or beech-sugar maple forest.
◦ If you cannot tell which exact colors are yours, ask your favorite graphic artist or webmaster to use a "color-picker" tool on the areas near your site, and on possible values in the Legend. For example, doing this, we found that our favorite site is on the edge of mixed-oak savanna and oak-hickory forest.

You may want to see your site's current land use:

In Michigan, you can key out your local natural community. Scroll down to see information on its soils, vegetation (rare and otherwise), animals (rare and otherwise), and more.
In 🇺🇸 USA, USGS land cover maps > yourState > yourCounty > zoom in and pan and adjust opacity slider. For example, doing this, we found that our favorite site's current use is Developed & Other Human Use, right next to Forest & Woodland. That describes pretty well our site, which backs up to a forest.

Then investigate which plants are associated with these natural communities:

In Michigan, you can use a list of Michigan natural communities.
Or a Search engine such as mixed-oak savanna and oak-hickory forest.

Now we know!

In North America, to help 🐝︎ pollinators, 🌳︎🐝︎ Trees for Bees recommends planting native big-leaf maple Acer macrophyllum, hardy catalpa Catalpa speciosa, eastern redbud Cercis canadensis, flowering dogwood Cornus florida, 🌷︎ tulip tree Liriodendron tulipifera, southern crabapple Malus angustifolia, staghorn sumac Rhus typhina and ◼ black willow Salix nigra.

Also in North America, the Pollinator Partnership offers recommendations for Selecting Plants for 🐝︎ Pollinators.

In 🇺🇸 USA, Audubon's recommendations of 🐦︎ bird-friendly butterfly-friendly native plants > your zipcode > button Search.
Michigan Native Plants for 🐦︎ Bird-Friendly Landscapes (.pdf).

Bloom dates for native perennial beneficial-insect-attracting plants (Michigan) (.pdf page 58) bloom dates by month (Missouri) (.pdf) bloom dates by plant name (Missouri) (.pdf).

In North America's Midwest, native examples of small trees forming the "middle story" of the woodland plant community include American hornbeam / ironwood Carpinus caroliniana, dogwood genus Cornus, American witch-hazel Hamamelis virginiana and American hophornbeam / ironwood Ostrya virginiana.

Kelly D. Norris recommends American smoketree Cotinus obovatus.

The Right Native Plants in the Right Landscape Means Fewer Allergies (.pdf pages 1, 20, 21 and 23).

To hire a native-friendly landscaper

In Minnesota, please see native plant suppliers and landscapers in Minnesota.

In West Michigan near Grand Rapids, please see a designer in the Native Plant Guild NPG.

In 🇺🇸 USA:

Contact your local chapter of Wild Ones (a group of native plant enthusiasts) (Facebook).
See the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's National Suppliers Directory > your zipcode > button go.

To buy or trade native plants or seeds

Sources of information, plants and seeds:

Your local:
◦ Environmental Education Center,
◦ Nature Center,
◦ Native Plant Nursery,
◦ Native Plant Producers Association,
◦ Wildflower Farm,
◦ Conservation District or
◦ University Extension.
In California's San Francisco area, please see SF Plant Finder Local Plant Nurseries.
In American Southwest, please see Native Seeds/SEARCH.
In Texas (especially central Texas), please see the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's special collections.
In Minnesota, please see native plant suppliers and landscapers in Minnesota.
In Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, within 100 miles or so of Chicago, please see Chicago Living Corridor's list of native plant sales.
In Michigan.
In Southern Ontario (near Toronto), please see North American Native Plant Society or the Local Scoop.
In New England, please see the native plant list maintained by the New England Wild Flower Society.
In 🇺🇸 USA, please see:
◦ your local chapter of Wild Ones (a group of native plant enthusiasts) (Facebook).
◦ Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's National Suppliers Directory > your zipcode > button go,
◦ Audubon's recommendations of 🐦︎ bird-friendly butterfly-friendly native plants > your zipcode > button Search > tab Local Resources, and
◦ Aerulean's list of butterfly-friendly plant and seed suppliers.
In 🇨🇦 Canada and 🇺🇸 USA, please see:
◦ North American Native Plant Society.
◦ National Nursery and Seed Directory.
◦ Plant Native.

While selecting your plants and seeds, this author recommends you:

Get plants and seeds that are truly wild and native to your region/ecosystem/habitat (usually tagged in form common name Genus species ).
Avoid nativar cultivated varieties (usually tagged with additional name(s) delimited by single-quotes ' ' or trademark ™ ).

Nativars often do not share the same genetics, reproduction nor ecological functions/ecosystem services as their parent stock. [4] [5]

For example, if ◼ red maple Acer rubrum is native to your region:

Plant a local, wild-type native variety, named like the above.
Avoid clonal , mutant or horticulturally-enhanced varieties, with single-quotes ' ' or trademark ™ somewhere in the name, such as Drummond's ~~red~~ maple Acer rubrum 'drummondii'.

Wild Ones Guidelines for Selecting Native Plants: The Importance of Local Ecotype (.pdf page 3). Nativars: Where do they fit in? (.pdf pages 1,4,5).

🔊︎ "How effective are nativars?" interview with Doug Tallamy on radio show/podcast A Way to Garden.com of 2018-05-28.

This author also recommends you get plants and seeds that are not treated with neonicotinoid neonic insecticides. I read that it could be months before your plants are visited by pollinators, or can provide food for your local birds. Seeds from these plants are probably OK.

Summary: When you buy, ☑ check the tag:

No single-quotes ' ' nor trademark ™.
Not treated with neonicotinoid neonic insecticides.

References

^[4] "Picking Plants for Pollinators: The Cultivar Conundrum". Xerces Society. 2017. Accessed 2019-05-10.

^[5] Based on the above blog, this is now being studied by Nativars Research Project, by budburst, a project of botanic gardens in Chicago, Denver and San Diego. To observe pollinators, they are seeking help from interested citizens scientists across the 🇺🇸 USA.