Keep it native: Native plants benefit local ecosystem
In her 1970 classic “Big Yellow Taxi,” Joni Mitchell laments the use of insecticides and asks of farmers, “Give me spots on my apples, but leave me the birds and the bees, please.”
In 2019, researchers affiliated with Cornell University issued a study finding that the population of birds in the United States and Canada since 1970 had dropped by nearly 3 billion.
However, it is not just chemicals that cause declining populations of birds, bees and insects. Many gardeners in Southwestern Pennsylvania have been advocating for the propagation of plants that are native to the region.
“Over the course of hundreds of thousands of years wildlife has grown up with certain plants in their environment, and they developed this relationship where those insects and birds are dependent upon certain plants,” said Michelle Stoken, a master gardener with Penn State Extension of Washington County.
Stoken notes that most bees will only pollinate certain flowers, and a monarch butterfly won’t lay eggs if there is no milkweed available.
No eggs means no caterpillars, which are an important food source for birds.
“The chickadees need 300 caterpillars to feed one nest full of their babies,” Stoken said.
Birds are also reliant upon berries that grow off of shrubberies to have the energy to make their migratory trip down south.
Kelly Strope, owner of Arcadia Natives in Amwell Township, said birds will certainly eat berries off of non-native shrubs, but it will not give them the nutrients they need.
“It turns out that a lot of non-native, invasive shrubs produce berries that have a high sugar content, low nutrient value for birds. When they’re about ready to take their migratory journey, they really need to load up on nutritionally valuable berries that are full of fats and proteins and things like that,” Strope said.
Judy Tchinski, a master gardener with Penn State Extension in Fayette County, said non-native plants tend to be a “nutritious zero” for local wildlife.
“I love daffodils, but there are no insects that use daffodils for food,” Tchinski said.
So where does a gardener begin to ensure they’re putting native plants in the ground?
Stoken, Tchinski and Strope all point to the “Native plants on a dime” Facebook group as a place to connect with other local gardeners and arrange seed swaps.
Stoken and Tchinski also expressed that Strope’s efforts at Arcadia Natives are helping spread the word about native plants locally.
The native plant nursery is on Strope’s property. She said after moving to the 22-acre plot of land seven years ago she began noticing plants she did not recognize and began researching native plants.
She wanted to plant more, but despite being native Strope found them difficult to source.
“I started doing more and more research and wanted to add even more native plants to this property, but could not find those plants anywhere except through mail order,” Strope said.
Strope was unsure she would even be able to sell a dozen plants, but found there was actually strong demand for native plants.
To help make it more manageable, Strope is operating the nursery this season by appointment only. Those interested can schedule a visit at arcadianatives.com.
Strope also strives to make Arcadia Natives an educational resource. Every plant is labeled with information about what wildlife uses that plant, and care instructions.
“Native plant awareness is spreading, for sure; however, there is still a lack of education,” Strope said. “Without that, people can’t really make informed decisions in their landscape. They don’t necessarily know there are better options out there.”
The plant labels also have QR codes that will take you to a fact sheet on the Arcadia Natives website. Fact sheets on all the plants Strope offers are freely available online.
“It has been a five-year project so far and it is ongoing. Every morning I am on the computer making a new fact sheet, new labels, for a new species that I’m bringing out. It has helped me a lot, because I just love learning and being able to share that knowledge when people come,” Strope said.