Our one step this week is Landscaping 101: Planting Native Species. Turfgrass lawns became popular in the United States in the 1870s and have since become the dominant idea in residential and commercial landscape design regardless of the surrounding natural biome. From the forested northeast to the desert southwest, people in the United States toil to grow a few species of turfgrass, keep it mowed a few inches tall, and exclude all other plant species. Allowing, encouraging, or establishing native plants instead of or in addition to turfgrass provides valuable habitat for many more species, safeguarding biodiversity.

Two That Matter Most

To know how well you are meeting the need for habitat with native plants, these two indicators matter most:

• How much pesticide you apply to your land.

• How many native plant species are growing on your land.

Sustainable Practice: Landscaping 101

Planting Native Species

Landscape with native species well-adapted to local conditions.

Equipment and Materials

• Guide to native plants [optional]

• Plants, cuttings, rhizomes, tubers, corms, bulbs, or seeds.

Steps

1. Learn which plants are native to your area.

2. Decide how actively you want to manage your landscape.

3. Remove non-native species.

4. Plant native species.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as necessary. 

Discussion

Turfgrass lawns are the standard landscaping practice in the United States and Canada. This land-use practice intentionally diminishes biodiversity to reduce the chance of humans interacting with wildlife near inhabited buildings. It is prudent to keep a small buffer area around buildings that is free of habitat that can harbor ticks, rodents, and other undesirable species. However, biodiversity and human well-being both benefit from encouraging native plants in areas of yards and landscapes that are several meters away from structures.

Which native species are best suited for a specific area of land depends on many factors. Consulting with an agent from your local extension service is a good first step to determining which native plant species to grow on your land. Plants attract animals, so by encouraging native plants, you allow an entire ecosystem to thrive.

Definitions

• Biodiversity: biological diversity; the variety and variability of species

• Cosmopolitan species: having a very widespread or global distribution 

• Endemic species: native and restricted to a specific area 

• Exotic Plants: plants that are not naturally found in a location

• Integrated Pest Management: a science-based approach that monitors conditions and identifies pests before taking control measures to minimize environmental and health risks, as opposed to spraying pesticides prophylactically or indiscriminately

• Invasive Species: species that are exotic and crowd out native species, potentially extirpating endemic species

• Native Plants: plants that naturally grow (or have historically grown without human cultivation) in a location

• Turfgrass: narrow-leaved grass species that form a uniform ground cover and can tolerate foot traffic and mowing to two inches or shorter

Troubleshooting

1. You need help deciding which native plants to encourage in your yard.

   1. Contact your local cooperative extension service.

   2. Consult a native plants garden guide.

2. Invasive exotic plants are overrunning your native planting area.

   1. If you’re not worried about offending your neighbors, you could take some time to observe before intervening. You may find it edifying to allow nature to take its course; over time, a diverse mix of species tends to arise.

   2. Prune or pull up invasive plants you dislike.

   3. Many people have strong feelings about which plants they believe deserve to live; they will recommend selective herbicide use. Your local cooperative extension service is a good resource.

   4. Consider hiring a professional landscaping service.

3. Native plants are failing to thrive.

   1. Try different native plants.

   2. Get a soil test to help select plants that may better tolerate your conditions.

4. You have an area of lawn you’d like to convert to native plants.

   1. Cover the lawn area with cardboard.

   2. Put new topsoil on the cardboard.

   3. Put native seeds or plants in the topsoil.

Strategies and Goals

• Community

  • Demonstrate sustainable practices

    • Grow native plants in your yard

• Water

  • Conserve water

    • Use less water for outdoor irrigation

  • Protect water quality

    • Reduce runoff of pesticides

    • Reduce runoff of excess fertilizer

• Energy

  • Conserve energy

    • Reduce the number of hours spent mowing lawn

• Habitat

  • Share habitat

    • Share your yard with other species

Milestones

• Decrease how much water you buy or pump

  • Measure: How much water you buy or pump

  • Method: Water or electricity bills

  • Time Period: Year

• Decrease how much energy you expend mowing lawn

  • Measure: How much time is spent mowing lawn

  • Method: Logbook

  • Time Period: Year

• Decrease how much pesticide you apply

  • Measure: How much pesticide you buy

  • Method: Financial records

  • Time Period: Year

• Decrease how much synthetic fertilizer you apply

  • Measure: How much fertilizer you buy

  • Method: Financial records

  • Time Period: Year

• Increase biodiversity in your yard

  • Measure: Number of plant species growing in your yard

  • Method: Survey

  • Time Period: Year

Limitations

• Some neighborhoods require lawns.

• Some families want lawns for recreation.

• Unmowed areas can harbor pests like ticks and rodents.

• Tall vegetation growing close to a building can be a fire hazard.

• Unwanted invasive species can become numerous in unmanaged yards.

• Some people find natural landscapes unsightly.

Opportunities

• Landscaping 102: Integrated Pest Management

  • Use a science-based approach to manage pests.

  • Minimize environmental risks while reducing pest pressure.

• Landscaping 103: Fertilize Organically

  • Use compost and organic methods rather than synthetic fertilizers.

  • Prevent water pollution from fertilizer runoff.

References

Cooperative Extension Services

• Extension Foundation

• National Institute of Food and Agriculture College Partners Directory

• Why and How to Contact Your Local Extension Agents

Native Plants Garden Guides

• A Guide to Native Plant Gardening

• Native Plant Trust Garden Plant Finder

• Native Plants

• Maine Audubon Native Plant Finder

• Putting Down Roots with Native Plants

• The Ultimate Guide to Native Plant Gardening

Articles and Websites

• A Strategy for Mapping and Modeling the Ecological Effects of US Lawns

• Biodiversity Explained: Facts, Myths, and the Race to Protect It

• Integrated Pest Management Principles

• Natural Organic Lawn Care

• The Cool-Season Turfgrasses: Basic Structures, Growth and Development

• The U.S. Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Industry: An Overview of Production and Trade

• Why Mow? The Case Against Lawns

Organizations

• National Wildlife Federation

• The Lawn Institute

Projects

• Backyard Habitat Certification Program

• Homegrown National Park

Keywords

landscaping, native plants, lawn, yard, integrated pest management, backyard habitat