The numbers of insects, birds, and the majority of the 100,000 to 200,000 species of pollinators on the planet are declining rapidly. Most of the causes of this are from human involvement, and we are collectively responsible for this trend if we do nothing to reverse it.
The organisms that have evolved with native plants are co-dependent upon each other. In fact, many plants and animals cannot survive without each other. Over 80% of our pollinators are insects, and without them, most species of our native plants would disappear. Many have co-evolved with the plants of a particular area, and have become specialists, meaning they can only consume or pollinate a few specific plants. In this case, both plants and insects would disappear without each other. (Most of our native bees are specialists.)
Using native plants means working with nature and taking advantage of these relationships, instead of fighting them. By planting what is native to a particular area, we are using nature as an ally by encouraging what belongs there, trying to introduce something that doesn’t. Doing otherwise leads to fighting more insects, increased use of herbicides and pesticides, and spending too much effort on a planting which cannot succeed unless it is constantly managed (such as ornamental gardens), while engaging in a constant losing battle with what is supposed to grow there – such as weeds and native plants. Once established, natives take less work to maintain. They need less water, little to no fertilizer, and harbor numerous other species that are absent in traditional gardens.
The majority of plants in a meadow are grasses. They provide the backdrop for flowers, and create their own beauty, especially when moving in a breeze.
Our meadows are a mixture of natives and non/natives, and we add species of both yearly. Many non-native plants provide pollen and nectar at a time when native plants are unavailable for pollinators, extend the season for available food sources, and add a greater diversity and number of flowers to the meadow.
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