Native Plants are a Force for Change
Native Plants …
- beautify the landscape
- native plants are rich in color, form, texture, and aroma – with careful design, your garden can have flowers year round
- nurture pollinators and other wildlife
- native plants provide food and shelter for birds, hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators
- save water
- once established, California native gardens use, on average, 80% less water than conventional gardens
- thrive in our local climate
- native plants are adapted to our natural cycles, responding to cool, wet winters with lush growth and slowing down during the hot, dry summers
- prefer our soils
- native plants do well in our native soils and do not require soil amendments or fertilizers so add no contaminants to groundwater
- cut pesticide use
- native plants typically have fewer pest problems than non-natives because they have co-evolved
- minimize your carbon footprint
- most California native plants are grown in state and travel short distances to your nursery while creating local jobs
- reduce maintenance
- a well-designed native garden, planted for the mature size of the plants, can require very little maintenance once established
- can be installed at low cost
- native gardens can easily be started with one-gallon size plants, saving on installation costs
- cool the environment
- even through native plants are water thrifty, they play an active role in the water cycle, adding cooling moisture to the atmosphere
- harmonize with diverse garden styles
- from cottage to formal to contemporary, there are native plants for every design
- create a sense of place
- the diversity of our flora means gardeners have many options for creating place-specific, local gardens that connect us with California’s past and its future