Why Native Plants for Landscaping?
By Glenn Dreyer, Arboretum Director. Proven Performers In “Marginal” Sites Ecologists and botanists have extensive knowledge about the occurrence of woody plants in the wild. While it is true that plants often do well in landscape conditions rather different than their native habitat, the point here is that we know which native plants do well in the extreme sites-in very wet and very dry soils, in full sun and in dense shade. We often do not have reliable habitat preference information about plants native to other continents. Hybrids, or a cultivar selected for a particular ornamental attribute, may truly be wild cards in terms of environmental tolerances. Most plants grow well in the traditional perfect conditions, what garden writers often characterize as “moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter.” However, most landscape plants will never see those conditions. Reliable information on plant habitat preference and tolerance is increasingly important as development and landscapi
