Native Plants in Your Organic Garden

Posted by Katie Elzer-Peters
October 21st, 2008
Filed in Garden Design
Tags: animals, flowers, insects, native plants, synthetic

Image by Hillowak

What are native plants? Why is everybody so hung up on planting them in their gardens? Are native plants necessary inclusions in an organic garden? Are the words “organic” and “native” interchangeable?

What are “Native Plants?”

The definition of “native plant” is different for every gardener. The definition can be as broad as “a plant that grows on the same continent” of the garden where it is to be planted or as narrow as “a plant that naturally grows within twenty miles” of the garden where it is to be planted. Native is, in some cases, in the eye of the beholder. You can easily distinguish between impatiens that are native to South America and that is native to North America or an acacia that is native to Africa versus a beautyberry that is native to the southeastern United States. When distinguishing between native regions of Rudbeckias or Echinacea, both native to North America, some people are militant that they do not belong in certain gardens, say, in the Pacific Northwest, while others consider that vigilance to be splitting hairs.

Are “Native” and “Organic” the same thing?

No, native and organic are not the same thing. The term “native” refers to a plant’s origin. The term “organic” refers to the way a plant is grown and treated. Organically grown plants are plants grown without the use of synthetic chemicals. Native and organic are terms that are mostly unrelated. Just because the two definitions refer to completely unrelated terms does not mean that native plants can’t be organic and organic plants can’t be native. When plants are both organic and native, they enhance the garden habitat where they grow.

Synergy

Synergy is when the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. When you add native plants to your organic garden, you do more than help the environment–you help animals that need habitats, and you help plants keep a foothold in their native areas–plants that might otherwise be destroyed or have habitats eliminated by development and construction. Organic gardens provide better habitats because they do not inadvertently injure animals and insects with pesticides. Native plants naturally provide better nutrition and habitat for animals in the vicinity of the gardens, as the animals and plants complement the other’s needs. Do you need native plants in your organic garden? No. Do native plants help your organic garden do more than just look pretty around your house? Yes.

Native Plants Easier to Find

It used to be incredibly difficult to find nursery-grown native plants for gardens. Not so much, anymore. The interest in native plants–for various reasons–has made it economically feasible for nurseries to propagate and sell native plants on a large scale commercially. Both big-box stores and specialty nurseries should have plenty of native annuals, perennials, grasses, trees and shrubs for your organic garden.