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| Grow native (Spring 2006) |
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Native grasses and forbs provide a tapestry of seasonal colors and textures while attracting butterflies, birds, and wildlife.
By Dean Houghton
Theresa Stilley is working on bringing a piece of the prairie to her northwest Missouri rural homestead. “When I moved to the country, it wasn’t with the idea of creating an urban landscape,” she says. “I wanted something more natural.”
She discovered Grow Native!, a joint program offered by the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Department of Agriculture. The program’s aim is to boost the state’s biodiversity by promoting use of native plants that existed before settlers moved in.
Stilley immediately went to work starting tree seedlings, and her five-acre homestead will soon be a mix of tailored plantings of warm-season grasses and forbs (broad-leaved herbs) along with larger areas that have a “wild” look like the prairie that once covered these hills. Her lawn is now carpeted by short-growing, low-maintenance buffalo grass. “It smells so good, like sweet hay,” she says.
Show-Me the natives
Native plants can be good choice for landscaping, whether you own a few acres or a larger tract. “A landscape based on native plants supports butterflies, birds, and all kinds of wildlife,” says Tammy Bruckerhoff, marketing and business development specialist for the Grow Native! program at the Missouri Department of Agriculture. “Grasses and forbs that were native to the prairie send roots down four feet or more, while a non-native like bluegrass may only have roots in the top four inches. That means these native plants need little or no watering and they’re less vulnerable to insects and diseases.”
She also points out that landscaping with prairie plants provides a year-round show of colors and textures that can’t be matched by a closely trimmed bluegrass lawn. “Plants like big bluestem not only vary in height but also color throughout the growing season,” she points out. “The plants and patterns on a diverse prairie offer an awesome show.” Nectar from forbs such as prairie phlox, butterfly milkweed, and prairie blazing star attract colorful butterflies and hummingbirds, adding to nature’s kaleidoscope.
Prairie patience
Native plants can fit many landscaping needs around a rural homestead.
One interesting application is a rain garden. Capturing runoff from your roof can support a suite of native wetland species while easing the strain of rainwater runoff that can flood creeks and fill up a local storm-water handling system. Native plants such as arrowhead and water canna set down dense root systems that help capture, filter, store, and slowly release storm water. Your miniature wetland can reduce drainage and flooding problems while keeping potential pollutants out of the local storm-water system. It also provides variety and beauty from these unique native plants along with the dragonflies and other colorful insect species they attract.
Missouri’s prairies once attracted quite a variety of wildlife, including the prairie chicken. Only a few of those birds can be found on the state’s scattered plots where prairie has been preserved. You won’t likely bring back the prairie chicken with a planting of native prairie species, but you can boost habitat for many types of wildlife. “We like to point out that native grasses and forbs attract desirable wildlife,” Jim Grace says. “These plants help attract animals such as pheasant, rabbits, and quail. If you’re looking for pretty flowers that are perennial and low-maintenance while attractive to wildlife, native plants and forbs can’t be beat.”
Selecting species that are truly native to your area is a key. Check with your local Extension office or USDA Service Center for information about programs similar to Grow Native! State programs can help you identify sources of seeds and plants for your area. “Buying locally produced native plant materials can boost the local economy while helping improve the environment,” says Grow Native! official Bruckerhoff. “Your local Home Builders Association can help you find firms who offer native landscape designs. And while you’re thinking globally, we encourage landowners to shop locally for native seeds and stock that offer natural diversity.”
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