Celebrate Native Plants this April

What first comes to mind when you think of April? Warmer weather? The yards turning green? The flowers beginning to bloom? The trees growing leaves? Well, how about native plants? April is Ohio Native Plant Month and the National Native Plant Month. This April, we are still thinking about native plants and their importance.

What exactly are native plants? Native plants are plants that are indigenous to a specific region or habitat and grow there naturally. Think of them as being the original and true plants of the land before humans came and changed the landscape or introduced other plant species. A few examples of native plants given by OSU include black-eyed Susan, common milkweed, purple coneflower, and wild strawberry.

Why are native plants important? Native plants are important for several reasons. One reason is that, with being native to an area, there are native animal or pollinator species that rely on that specific plant. Sometimes that species can only survive eating that plant, or the plant can only be pollinated by that specific species. The two are interconnected so, without one, the other one struggles.

Furthermore, native plants increase biodiversity in a habitat. When you compare a pollinator garden to a regular garden or yard, you can see a significant difference in the number of critters visiting. In a pollinator garden, which is planted with various native plants, you may see numerous species of bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, caterpillars, birds, and many other insect or bug species. However, when you look at a generic garden or a grass yard, you may see a couple bee species (mostly honeybees or bumblebees), some birds, and some insects or bugs. However, it is not nearly as diverse as it is in the native garden.

Is there anything that I can do for native plants? Of course! If you have the space, you can add native plants to your landscape, garden, or flower beds. If this is not an option, try to promote or support organizations, greenhouses, nurseries, or people who are trying to spread native plants.

Want to know more? Come and join us May 25th for our Conservation Chat: Plants Gone Wild. We will be meeting at the Forbes Farmstead Market in Perrysville at 6:00 to hear speakers’ expertise about plants. Botanists and Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalists Tim and Paula Lavey will be speaking about native and invasive plants, along with tips on which native plants are beneficial to have around the home. Denise Ellsworth from OSU will be talking about pollinators, pollinator-friendly plants, and how to include them in your landscape. Finally, Danny Johnson of J&H Lawncare will be speaking about plant types and maintenance.

A $10 pre-registration is required and includes dinner. Participants are also encouraged to bring native plants from their own home or landscape to share or swap with other participants. Those interested in adding a rain barrel to their home to help manage stormwater can also pre-purchase a rain barrel from Ashland SWCD and have it delivered to the Conservation Chat. For more information and to RSVP, contact Ruth McCrea or Cora Crilow at (419) 281-7645. Registration can also be made online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/conservation-chat-plants-gone-wild-tickets-529683897797?aff=ebdssbdestsearch