Why Native Plants?

The Appalachian Piedmont is home to a wealth of lovely native plant species. We can celebrate our natural heritage by giving native plants some space right around us in our yards and gardens. 

Plants form the very bottom of the entire natural food chain. And insects are very picky eaters - some species will only eat a single species or will lay their eggs on only a single species. Plants from other parts of the world simply cannot compete with native plants as food sources for our native ecosystems.

Native plants grow in the forests, roadsides and ditches without any special help from humans. They are perfectly adapted to the weather and soil of the areas in which they live. When you plant native plants in your garden in similar habitat to where they are found in the wild, then once established, they will grow with minimal-to-no input from you. That means lower water bills, less fertilizer, less worrying about weather conditions, less concern about pests, and overall - less work for you! You may even find that native plants can turn a brown thumb into a green one!