One of the hottest trends in both residential and commercial landscaping is switching to native flowers and grasses.
There are numerous benefits when you use native plants within your landscape, not only for you but for the community and for the wildlife that lives there.
Attract Wildlife
With animal habitat disappearing at a frightening rate, by adding native wildflowers and grasses to your property you are able to supply wildlife with a sanctuary they need in order to thrive. The native plants that you choose will meet their needs. This includes food as well as cover.
By using the right diversity of native plants within your urban landscaping, you will be able to provide:
- Foods such as nuts, seeds, as well as fruits for squirrels or other mammals
- A protective cover for numerous animals
- Nectar for hummingbirds as well as butterflies
- Fruits, seeds as well as insects for birds
- Larval host plants for butterfly caterpillars
- Limitation of invasive plant life
By using primarily native plant life within your landscaping, you’re limiting the chance of potentially invasive, exotic plant life being introduced into your yard.
Add Natural Beauty
Many of our native Minnesota plants produce beautiful flowers, abundant fruits and seeds, and brilliant fall foliage. By using native plant life not only will you have a wildlife-friendly yard, but it will be full of natural beauty.
Low Maintenance
Native plant life in general grows very well and it does not require a lot of care. By choosing to use wildflowers and prairie grasses that are native to this part of Minnesota, you can almost eliminate watering and skip the herbicides and pesticides as well. That makes going native an environmentally sound choice. And many homeowners are opting to replace at least a portion of their lawns with native prairie grasses, which means your mowing chores will be less.
As more and more people choose to use native plant life within their landscaping, it ultimately adds to the available habitat for wildlife and it benefits the community as a whole. When choosing to use native plants, you’re helping to preserve our natural heritage for our future generations.
Ask us about adding native MN plants to your yard. Not are they beautiful and easy to care for, you’ll be preserving some of our threatened native wildlife habitat Check out our Pinterest board for just some species available.
ALD is a licensed MN landscape design and installation contractor, and we can work with you to incorporate more native plant species in your landscaping. Call us today for a free in-home design consultation.