July 2010

NATIVE PLANTS - A Living History

Leonard J. Buck Garden, Far Hills, New Jersey

Walking through the garden you will see some native plant combinations. Native cinnamon fern and iris cool their heels along the edges of the upper pond; native ironweed and Joe-pye weed lure nature’s loveliest pollinators in the Azalea Field, and species of native goldenrod, and white wood aster, live harmoniously in the dry shady areas surrounding the garden.

Interest in native plants and native plant communities is increasing and more landscape professionals are incorporating native plants into their garden designs. The British and other Europeans have been doing for over 300 years, clearly demonstrating the merit of our native plants.

Native plants are often adapted to a specific niche and have controls to keep their population in balance with the surrounding community. Many introduced plants do not have any natural controls, allowing them to spread and smother native vegetation. Some exotic plants that have escaped and naturalized can out-compete and change the complex biodiversity of the region. Native plants preserve regional biodiversity.

Native plants provide food and shelter for native butterflies, birds, reptiles, mammals and other fauna. Wildlife species evolve with plants; therefore, they use native plant communities for these necessities. Land areas impacted by introduced plants have less wildlife and plant diversity than native ones.

Native plants not only satisfy our attraction to wildlife, but also restore the critical unseen small pieces in our ecosystems. They provide endless opportunities for observation and offer hours of educational and recreational benefits. Many of our familiar wildflowers were of medicinal and economic importance in previous cultures. Recently, interest in native plants for medicinal use has soared, thus adding further insight and enjoyment to our gardening efforts.

Most native plants are slow growing and long lived. They focus first on developing a strong root system. Blooming comes later, after the plant is well-established. It is not uncommon for some natives, such as blazing star and coneflower, to require three years before flowering. Once established, they will return year after year and generally require less watering, pesticides and fertilizers, which benefit our environment.

Important! A "native" to New Jersey can be considered "invasive" in other parts of the United States and the world. Also, not all wildflowers, (plants that grow in the wild without human cultivation), are native plants. Queen Ann’s lace, dame’s rocket, bachelor’s button and ox eye daisy among others are naturalized species that originally came to the Americas from Europe and Asia.


Native plants possess the advantage of being adapted to the conditions of their region. For thousands of years they have survived and prospered despite Mother Nature’s climatic curve balls. They have been overlooked far too long and are finally being appreciated for their own stunning beauty.

Remember, when you garden with native plants you are automatically gardening for wildlife too. Visit the Somerset County Park Commission’s Leonard J. Buck Garden and see how many natives you can find.

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Blooming News photos to enlarge

Pink turtlehead

Purple coneflower

Meadowsweet

Gailardia

Heuchera

Dixie iris

Whorled loosestrife

Pachysandra

Garden phlox

Indian pink

Culver's root

Iris on edge of pond

Bottlebrush buckeye

Oakleaf hydrangea

Joe-pye weed, Mary Jasch photo