Put simply, native plants sustain the life around us. They provide food and shelter for all wildlife in a way that exotic plants cannot. Over time, native plants have developed complex relationships with insects, birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that we are just now beginning to understand.
The most famous example of this complex relationship between native plants and wildlife is the monarch butterfly and the milkweed plant. Milkweed is the only food monarch caterpillars eat. No milkweed and the monarch goes extinct. This is just one example of hundreds of relationships between wildlife and native plants.
These relationships are going on all around us, but we just need to pay attention. If you want to change the world or just make a difference in your community, put native plants in your yard. It doesn’t matter how big or small. Every native plant makes a difference.
Tune in for the next post in the Why Native Plants series tomorrow evening August 15th.