EGARDENING 

Gardening with natives links

Gardening with Natives

by Catherine Kavassalis       
 
Bowman's Root (Porteranthus trifoliatus)

Imagine the golden hues of Helen's flower (helenium autumnale), blackeyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta), and tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata) warming a sunny spot in your summer garden. Or think of a long blooming blend of pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida), white beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis), obedient plant (Physotegia virginiana) and blazing star (Liatris aspera) bordered by moss phlox (Phox subulata). In a shady recess, consider the elegant and aromatic  black snakeroot (Cimicifuga racemosa) as an architectural backdrop to turtlehead (Chelone glabra), lady fern (Athyrium felix-femina), foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) and alumroot (Heuchera americana). The number and variety of garden worthy native perennials is astounding.

Why garden with native plants? Not only are they beautiful but they are also ecologically important. Plants that have evolved in this region require less care. They do not typically need extra water, fertilizer or pesticides.  They support native wildlife and can help to attract butterflies, hummingbirds and songbirds to your garden. Cultivating native plants helps prevent the expansion of invasive alien species into our woodlands and wetlands. Finally, using native plants provides unique regional character to your garden designs. 

Many native plants are already regular additions to most area gardens, but others are less well known and underutilized. For instance, the graceful Bowman's Root (Porteranthus trifoliatus syn. Gillenia trifoliata) with its ethereal white flowers, mahogany stems, attractive red autumn color, unique persistent seed heads would make an excellent addition to any border with dappled sun. Bowman's root has not been found in the wild in Ontario for some time and is presumed extirpated. Cultivation may be the only way to preserve similarly endangered plant species.

Nurseries are beginning to identify native plants, although some may not, strictly speaking, be native to this region. If you want to know if a plant is actually native to Ontario, NatureServe Explorer (http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/index.htm) provides an excellent database. A search for native vascular plants of Ontario will return some 3190 listings - a small representation of our pre-European heritage. The North American Native Plant Society (http://www.nanps.org/index.shtml) is also a good resource for information, plants and seeds. They will usually hold a yearly Wildflower Sale each spring in Markham. For book lovers, Lorraine Johnson's Ontario Naturalized Garden is a helpful resource. I am particularly fond of the Connecticut Botanical Society's online site Gardening with Native Plants (http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/garden/). Amongst their online resources is a useful chart of native perennials that includes height, bloom time, soil conditions etc. Most of the species listed in their chart are native to our region too.

There are several Ontario nurseries that now specialize in native plants. You can mail order plants from nurseries like Grow Wild, Garden's North, Ontario Native Plants and Wild Canada or order seeds. Our local Lost Horizons has an impressive 74 page catalog and large inventory of natives, but they no longer ship plants - its worth the trip to Acton. Wildflower Farm specializes in seed and prepares regionally specific native seed mixes. I provide internet links and a further list of resources online, (http://www.haltonhelps.org/Egardening/nativeplants.htm).

Over the past few centuries, most of southern Ontario's natural spaces have been disturbed by human activity and we have lost and are loosing many indigenous plants. Our region is home to a profusion of asters, goldenrods and sunflowers. Our native ferns, lilies and orchids are fantastic. By cultivating the wild, we can help to protect these Ontario treasures and preserve their beauty for generations to come.

 May toads nestle in your flower beds and help you tend your beauties in the spring.

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NEW: Flora of Southern Ontario http://www.gvta.on.ca/flora/wildflowers.html [Excellent database resource]

Links:

Online Planting Guides and Suggestions

Online Native Plant Field Guides and Information (Note: wildflowers are not necessarily native)

Databases for Plants

Nurseries specializing in native plants and trees that supply southern Ontario

Often species designated as native are native to North America, but not necessarily native to Ontario (if in doubt run them through Natureserve or the USDA plant database).

Organizations Other helpful Garden Sites