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How would you feel if you got off the plane in Maui and were handed a dyed carnation? In Hawaii, I want to be greeted with my own lei of orchids not a flower I could pick-up anywhere!

I am disappointed when I go on vacation and it looks very much like the place I just left. Have you ever had this feeling when you drive into a resort destination and you see the ubiquitous Wal-Mart, McDonald’s Hamburgers or even an Outback Steakhouse? We crave experiences that are unique to a particular locale and not just a homogenous repetition of what we find anywhere else.

The Triad has a unique people, history, climate, soil and vegetation. So the plants we use should reflect our native environment as well. Using native plant material in our landscapes preserves and enhances our ‘Sense of Place’. The Triad is such a beautiful place to live, work and visit but yes, we are different from Hawaii. Many of our native plants are just as beautiful as what you would find there but we seem to take them for granted.

Native plants provide habitat for native animal and insect species that may need a particular food or cover plant to thrive. By losing diverse habitats, we risk losing our bio-diversity. Native bees are visibly on the decline possibly due to a reduced native plant population. Without these pollinators, fruits that we eat will be less likely to set fruit as will trees and shrubs that provide food for birds and other small animals.

Plants that are not native are called exotic since they have been introduced from somewhere else. Many of these exotics have done well in our area such as azaleas introduced from China.

But consider Kudzu, another exotic from China that has had devastating effects on our landscapes in the Triad and throughout the south. Invasive exotics such as Kudzu squeeze out native species and in the long run change the species of fauna that can be supported and even can change the chemistry of the soil. We must consider the legacy we are leaving our descendents if we are down-grading the environment they will inherit.

Hopefully, you are excited about using natives and want to know what to plant where. The following list contains my favorites and /or those listed by The North Carolina Native Plant Society.

Common Name // Botanical Name // Light F-Full Sun, S-Shade, FP-Part Sun, PS-Part Shade

Trees:
Redbud Cercis canadensis F, FP, PS
Dogwood Cornus florida, Cornus alternifolia FP, PS, S
Sourwood Oxydendron arboretum FS, FP, PS
Silverbell Halesia tetraptera FP, PS, S

Tall Shrubs (8-12 ft)
Beautyberry Callicarpa americana FS, FP, PS, S
Bottlebrush Buckeye Aesculus parviflora FP, PS, S
Florida Anise Illicium floridanum PS, S
Florida Leucothoe Leucothoe populifolia FP, PS
Fothergilla, dwarf Fothergilla gardenia FP, PS, S
Wax Myrtle Myrica cerifera FP
Yaupon Holly Ilex vomitoria FP, PS
Inkberry Ilex glabra FP
Oak-leaf Hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia S, PS
Native Azaleas Rhododendron periclymenoides PS

Low Shrubs (under 4-5ft)
Carolina Rhododendron Rhododendron minus PS
Wild Hydrangea Hydrangea arborescns ‘Annabelle’ PS
Virginia Sweetspire Itea virginica ‘Little Henry’ S, PS
Viburnum, Maple-leafed Viburnum acerifolium S

Sunny Borders
Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta FS, FP
Coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata FS, FP, PS
Goldenrod Solidago, dwarf FS, FP
Iris Iris cristata FP
Joe-Pye Weed Eupatorium spp. FS
Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea FS
Wild Indigo Baptisia spp. FS, FP

Shady Borders
Blue Star Amsonia tabernamontana PS, S
Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis PS, S
Columbine Aquilegia canadensis PS
Foam Flower Tiarella cordifolia PS, S
Green and Gold Chrysogonum virginianum PS
Heuchera Heuchera americana PS, S
Liverwort Hapatica americana PS, S
Phlox (woodland) Phlox divarica PS, S
Solomon’s Seal Polygonatum spp. PS, S

This is only a partial list of good natives. There are many websites pertaining to this topic listed at the end of this article.

Matching the right plant to the right place is still important, so do some research about plant requirements. Natives grown in the right place will be hardy, drought-resistant and low-maintenance. A landscape rich in native plants will become more sustainable and you will be doing your part to improve bio-diversity for generations to come.

Nancy Seay, RLA, ASLA, is a Guilford County Master Gardener Volunteer and a registered landscape architect. Nancy is president of Seay Partners, Inc. She happily tends a native garden and a rain garden at her home in Greensboro and can be reached at seaywhat7@aol.com or 336-580-3611.