How to Choose Native Plants
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What does "native" mean?
Perennials, biennials & annuals
Interested in native plants? Great. Answer three questions about your site and you'll know what to look for.
Native plants are the species that grew here before European settlement. Local wildlife evolved alongside them, so when we replace them with plants from elsewhere, the food web loses pieces it depends on.
Most plants we grow are perennials: they come back every year. A few are biennials (two-year life cycle) or self-seeding annuals (one year, then they reseed). Expect those to wander around your garden.
Step 1: Sunny or shady?
Full sun: 6+ hours of direct sun a day
Part sun / part shade: 4–6 hours
Shade: less than 4 hours of direct sun
Step 2: How wet is your soil?
Wet: saturated soil near creeks, ponds or standing water
Medium: holds some moisture but can dry out
Dry: drains fast and dries out quickly
Step 3: Other considerations
Deer and rabbits: many natives handle browsing once established, but may need protection for their first year or two.
Bloom time and color: layering species with different bloom times gives full-season interest and feeds pollinators from spring to fall.
Height: want to screen a view or hide the AC unit? Remember: short plants in front, tall in the back.
Look to the land.
Native plants grow wild all around us, so nature has already worked out what thrives where. Hot, dry boulevard? Visit a sunny bluffside goat prairie. Soggy roadside ditch? Look at a nearby marsh.