SERVICES

(Compiled from multiple Sources, see below)

California native plants are perfectly suited to our climate, soil and wildlife, and help us create gardens of beauty that give a sense of place and extend native habitats into urban settings (CNPS). They provide aesthetic and habitat value, serve functional and conservation needs, and can add an ethical or spiritual dimension to gardening (Borstein, Fross, O’Brien).

What are California Native Plants?

Native plants grew in California prior to European contact and have co-evolved over the centuries with our local soil, microbes and animals to form a complex network of relationships. The term ‘native’ means that the plant has been part of an intricate and complex web of animals, plants, pathogens, fungi, bacteria and microorganisms for a very long time – one in which the rules of coexistence have been thoroughly worked out. Such communities are stable, orderly and diverse (CNPS).

Why are native plants important?

Plants are a cornerstone of biological diversity, and native plants are the foundation of our native ecosystem. They do the best job of providing food and shelter for native insects, birds and animals (CNPS).

Benefits of California Native Plants

• Save Water – once established, many native plants need minimal irrigation during the dry season (CNPS).
• Lower Maintenance – native plants do best with some attention and care in a garden setting, but require little to no soil amendments or fertilizers (CNPS).
• Diversity – native plants offer species for any garden site or situation and are not restricted to a single watering regime, kind of soil, or special microclimate. Natives run the gamut from wet, foggy, coastal bluffs to arid, hot deserts (Middlebrook & Keator).
• Beauty – some of the longest-blooming, showiest flowers are produced by native species, some of the best foundation shrubs and trees are native, and some of the most beautiful foliage plants for texture, color, and fragrance come from native species (Middlebrook & Keator).
• Habitat for birds and pollinators – native plants, hummingbirds, butterflies, and other beneficial insects are “made for each other” – native wildlife prefers native plants, which provides great opportunities for wildlife viewing (CNPS).
• Support local ecology – as development replaces natural habitats, planting gardens, parks, and roadsides with California native plants can help provide an important “bridge” to nearby remaining wildlands (CNPS).

What makes a garden pollinator friendly?

Growing the right flowers, shrubs, and trees with overlapping bloom times supports pollinators through the year (Xerces). Native bees, butterflies and moths evolved with
native plants, which provide the food and shelter needed to support them (CNPS).
It’s also important to reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides (including
insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides) which harm pollinators and other
beneficial insects (Xerces). Fortunately, most CA native plants do not require pesticides
to stay healthy.

What makes a garden bird friendly?

In order to thrive, birds need food, shelter and water, and native birds need native plants and the insects that have co-evolved with them (Audubon). Many native plants provide food for birds in the form of nectar from flowers, the flowers themselves, seeds, and berries. Planting a variety of native plants that bloom and set seed and fruit in different seasons helps birds have food year-round (CNPS). Also, by providing additional places for birds to take shelter and nest, we can keep them around longer, so that there’s so much more to observe and enjoy (Mass Audubon).

Sources

California Native Plant Society

• Why Native Plants
• What Are Native Plants
• Benefits of California Native Plants
• Native Gardens Are for the Birds

National Audubon Society

• Native Plants
• Why Native Plants Are Better for Birds and People
• Landscaping for Birds

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

• Bring Back the Pollinators
• The Risks of Pesticides to Pollinators

“Designing California Native Gardens” by Alrie Middlebrook & Glenn Keator

“California Native Plants for the Garden” by Carol Borstein, David Fross, Bart O’Brien