Plants native to the soils and climate of your specific area provide the best overall food sources for wildlife, while generally requiring less fertilizer, less water, and less effort in controlling pests.
Native plants may support 10 to 50 times as many species of native wildlife as non-native plants. Too often, exotic plants brought to our continent for their horticultural or wildlife value spread rapidly and take over farm and woodland, and decimate native plants and animals.
Since native plantings can reduce the need for water and chemical inputs and can maintain or enhance biological diversity, wildlife gardeners concerned about conservation should strive toward incorporating native plantings as much as possible in their plans.
