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The Big Deal About Native Plants
Written By: Bill Peavey | Issue: 2016/09 - September
What makes a bird really, really happy?
In a word – insects!
Virtually all land birds – 96 percent – require insects to sustain themselves and their young. Native plants support healthy populations of insects, including caterpillars, that breeding birds feed their nestlings. Non-native plants contain foreign chemical compounds that most native insects will not eat. Without insects for food, baby birds starve. By adding native plants to your yard and garden landscapes, you can help counteract the imbalance created by non-native plantings and ensure the survival of future generations of birds.
Native plants are those that occur naturally in an area and North Carolina, particularly our Highlands-Cashiers Plateau, is home to thousands of native plant species. Many are stunningly beautiful, and some are unique to our mountains and occur nowhere else in the world. In these categories are Pink Shell Azalea, Carolina Lily, certain Trilliums, and Oconee Bells.
Over many millennia, our native wildlife has adapted to the resources provided by native flora. According to the careful observations of Doug Tallamy, a single White Oak tree can support 19 different varieties of caterpillars. A nesting pair of Carolina Chickadees might feed their chicks from 350 to 570 caterpillars every day, an incredible 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars for the full 19-day nesting period! They won’t find them on Bradford Pear or Princess Trees.
Several local organizations, including NC Audubon, Highlands Cashiers Land Trust, Highlands Biological Station, and our local garden clubs are acting to educate landscapers, nursery owners and land-holders about the benefits of gradually eliminating non-native species. These plants, trees, shrubs, and climbing vines have no natural enemies and can threaten native species. Obvious threats such as Kudzu and Japanese Knotweed and many lesser-known invaders strangle trees and form thick mats, excluding such attractive and useful natives as Coral Honeysuckle, Trumpet Creeper, and Flame Azalea.
You can learn more about Audubon’s Native Plant Program at: nc.audubon.org/conservation/bird-friendly-native-plants-year-program. The Highlands Plateau Audubon Society, focused on enjoying and preserving birds and their habitats, is a Chapter of the National Audubon Society and a 501(c) (3) organization. For information on all our activities and membership, please visit highlandsaudobonsociety.org.
