We mean with plants, silly :)
It was a privilege to spend Earth Day in Phoenix Oregon for its Pollinator Celebration, a particularly fitting event for a “Bee City” designee.
The event, which was kid and dog-friendly with music, food, and education, highlighted the role that pollinators play in biodiversity, helping plants thrive, the spread of seedlings, and keeping shrubs and low-hanging branches in check.
What might be of special interest to our readers was the focus that the participants had on native plants, which not only help bees, butterflies, caterpillars, birds, and so much more, but also help establish safe areas and firebreaks.
In keeping with spring and planting season, if you are fortunate enough to have a garden, you might consider shifting to native flora.
Simply put, native species are important because of the way their biology works with the land.
Not only that, and this should concern every Oregonian, native plants are simply superior when it comes to fire resistance.
For example, native plants, such as the purple needle grass, store more water and need less to keep hydrated, and as such are effective aids to wildfire prevention.
Others, such as native oaks, have bark that is naturally fire resistant.
There are many reasons that growing native plants in your gardens and yards will help protect your home. Why?
— Native plants minimize the rapid spread of wildfires that ignite homes.
— Many native plants are actually designed to absorb hot embers vs. flammable, invasive plants like grasses and weeds and scrubs that will ignite.
— Non-native plants don’t adapt to dry conditions, and burn hotter and longer.
There are other benefits to planting native, including the fact that these plants require far less water and maintenance than traditional non-native gardens usually demand, conserving the state’s water supply.
Perhaps most important to you if you are a parent, native gardens don’t require pesticides or fertilizers either, keeping the garden healthy and safe for your family to play in and explore and overall enjoy.
Planting natives is also good for you, allowing you to better connect with your environment, and getting a sense of what your area was like in its natural state.
If you feel like exercising your green thumb, and if you are interested in shifting toward indigenous plants, the Native Plant Finder suggests the following for flowers and grasses; woody shrubs; and trees.
The area is customized for climate areas such as Southern Oregon. Here are the top five native plants suggested in each category:
Flowers and Grasses
1) Strawberries
2) Lupine
3) Goldenrod
4) Deer Vetch
5) Sagebrush
If sagebrush doesn’t float your boat, don’t worry: Sunflowers are at #6.
Woody Shrubs
1) Huckleberries or Blueberries
2) Blackberries
3) Wild Roses
4) California Lilac
5) Serviceberry
Trees
1) Willow
2) Cherry
3) Aspen, Poplar
4) Alder
5) Oak
Embrace spring by embracing your garden, perhaps trying something new in an indigenous way. Your water bill and the bees and butterflies will thank you!
