Wildlife experts urge gardeners to grow native

Fall is the best time for planting trees and shrubs in Georgia, so now is a good time to consider what wildlife experts are strongly urging — “grow native.” That also goes, they say, for plants in your flower garden.

Native plants, of course, are flora that have existed naturally for centuries or millennia in an area and have adapted to the local climate and soil conditions. Over time, they also have become key sources of nectar, pollen, fruit, nuts and seeds that are food for native butterflies, insects, birds and other animals.

For instance, our native goldenrods, blooming profusely now in old fields and meadows, attract dozens of native insect species that sip nectar, gather pollen or eat stems and leaves of the plants. These creatures, in turn, are preyed upon by birds and several other insects for food.

Native insects, though, won’t thrive on nonnative plants. Unfortunately, many of our native plants are being choked out by non-native aliens such as Chinese privet, Chinese tallow, kudzu, English ivy and others. In many areas, the aliens have become like spreading cancers on the landscape.

Speaking at the Atlanta History Center this week, Douglas Tallamy, chair of the University of Delaware’s Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, warned that if native plants disappear, native insects also will disappear, impoverishing food sources for birds and other wildlife.

Tallamy, author of the book “Bringing Nature Home,” said that, by growing native plants, homeowners can attract more wildlife and help restore much of our native diversity. “Gardeners have become important players in the management of our native wildlife,” he said.

Botanist Mincy Moffett of Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources noted that native plants can be just as beautiful as horticultural species, but generally need less water, fertilizer, pesticides and maintenance.

For more information, visit the Georgia Native Plant Society at gnps.org.

In the sky: From David Dundee, Tellus Science Museum astronomer: The moon will be last-quarter Saturday night. Venus is low in the west and Mars and Saturn are low in the west at dusk. Jupiter is low in the east in the predawn sky.

WIKIPEDIA / PUBLIC DOMAIN A wasp visits a goldenrod flower. Native goldenrod species attract dozens of native insects that, in turn, provide food for other native insects, birds and other animals.