Invite Mother Nature into your yard: HCT Winter Talk touts benefits of native plants

Want to help native insects and pollinators thrive? Your yard is a great place to start! 

Adding native plants to the world outside your door is the key step, said Kristin Andres, Director of Education & Outreach for the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC), at a recent Harwich Conservation Trust (HCT) Winter Talk.

The program, titled “A Cape-friendly Landscape: Discovering the Nature Connection,” provided a comprehensive look at the benefits of native plants and their fascinating relationship with butterflies, bees, birds and other wildlife.

“Plants and insects are inextricably linked through evolution,” said Andres. “They have special relationships with each other to help ensure the survival of their species.”

In essence, native plants provide the best food sources, cover and nesting habitats for native wildlife. This time-tested relationship supports healthy ecosystems. The added bonus is that native plants look great in gardens and landscapes and can handle the sometimes-challenging Cape soils and climate.

Beautiful and hardy

The hardiness and vitality of native plants allows Cape gardeners to avoid pesticide and fertilizer use and conserve water. This is a win for wildlife and people, and you’re providing swell habitat for species that need help at the same time.

On Cape Cod, “more than 90 percent of the larva of moths and butterflies require native plants,” said Andres. “We need to have these host plants for the butterflies to be there.”

Over recent years on the Cape, areas that once held native plants have been lost or compromised by development, habitat destruction and the use of pesticides. “In the last 20 years, we’ve lost 22 percent of our butterflies,” Andres said.

Baby birds need caterpillars

In a surprising twist that illustrates the interconnectedness of nature, less moths and butterflies means less tasty caterpillars for baby birds.

That’s a big deal, because nearly all (96 percent) of those cute, chirping infants depend on caterpillars to get the nutrients they need to grow. If birds can’t find a nearby source of caterpillars, they won’t nest in that area, said Andres. You can help by planting native plants, a key to establishing a winning wildlife equation.

While there’s a lot to learn about incorporating native plants into yards, gardens and landscapes, Andres suggested two plants that help get the ball rolling. “Every garden should have some goldenrods,” she said. “They support 110 species of caterpillars.” Asters are also a winner, providing support for a whole host of insects.

Green thoughts about lawns

Shrinking the size of your lawn and avoiding the use of fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation is also a good way to help foster a healthy ecosystem.

This method harkens back to the “Cape Cod lawns” of yore, which APCC describes as “mosaics of moss and a variety of native species that may include sedges, violets, wintergreen, low bush blueberry, bearberry and native little bluestem grass.”

Andres also advised folks to “leave the leaves” because leaf cover helps with moisture levels, soil ecology and creates habitat for beneficial insects.

She closed the talk with a quote from native plant ecologist Neil Diboll: “Everyone says they love Mother Nature, but if you look at peoples’ yards, very few actually invite her over.”

By welcoming native plants into your gardens and yards, Mother Nature and her posse of pollinators and wildlife will find their happy place!

–There are many local, regional and statewide organizations that offer more resources about native plantings and creating pollinator friendly landscapes. Here are two to start:

Native Plant Trust: Based in Wayland, Native Plant Trust is the nation’s first plant conservation organization and the only one solely focused on New England’s native plants. They maintain a renowned native plant botanic garden in Framingham called Garden in the Woods, which is open to visitors from mid-April through mid-October. Admission fees apply. The trust also sells native plants through its website.

Our fellow land trust in Eastham, the Eastham Conservation Foundation, has established native plants at Joe’s Garden on one of its protected preserves. They have created two comprehensive spreadsheets detailing native plant characteristics and diagrams of their approach to seeing colorful blooms in spring, summer and fall. Here’s a link to their two planting documents:

—Native full sun/part shade plants and diagrams

—Native shade/part shade trees and shrubs

—Sign up for HCT eNews, a great way to stay in the loop about exciting HCT events, guided walks and other interesting news.

—Your tax-deductible contributions help fulfill the mission of the Harwich Conservation Trust to preserve land that protects woods, water, wildlife and our shared quality of life. And your land-saving financial support helps us preserve beautiful properties that can become stellar trail destinations. Find out how to donate by clicking here.