GO
NATIVE!
Curious about decorative native plants? Wonder why to use them when some of those plants
from up north may bloom so much more profusely?
There are so many reasons to plant Native.
Natives are so simple to care for! They save us time, effort, and money. Once a native is
established, we don’t need to water or fertilize them unless conditions are more extreme than
normal. We just add some mulch (maintain about 3 inches) annually and expect hardy plants.
Think about how much effort you’ve put into planting your garden. If you aren’t using natives,
many of those plants just won’t survive the summer or winter here in Central Texas. In fact, the
extreme drought and record heat last summer was devastating to our local non-native landscape.
Lawns and even public spaces became burned, barren wastelands. Many of our native plants
coped with the conditions and survived, however. Some actually treated the heat/drought combo
like business as usual and didn’t seem to struggle at all. Others folded their leaves during the
hottest part of the day to conserve water in the stem and roots. They may need a little extra TLC
when they start to come back this Spring if they lost a lot of leaves last summer. A few of our
more tender natives gave up. But before they did, they put their energy into massive seed
production to ensure their species would return. These plants produced some amazing flowering
displays before they died. Lawns with native grasses (or unlimited water bills if they were nonnative), did fine too. Plus, our native plants, shrubs, trees, and grasses have developed a
resistance to local harmful insects and disease that non-natives lack. This produces less need for
pesticides. More savings for us!
Native plants provide shelter to our native bugs, birds, butterflies and other creatures that nonnatives do not also. You can sit in your own backyard on a warm day, sip on a cold drink and
enjoy watching all the wildlife in and around your native plants. Plus you can pat yourself on the
back for replacing food and habitat for those wild critters that depend on these plants to survive.
Non-native plants can become invasive. Without birds, bugs, and other wildlife to consume
them, they can overrun our landscape. Kudzu is an example of a vine that was brought to
American from another country where predators kept it under control. Without that wildlife to
control it here it is rampant. Throughout the south you will find it covering trees, electric poles,
fences, fields and even roadways. It is difficult to kill even with herbicides.
So how do you plant a native garden?
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Look on the internet to identify plants that grow well in our “zone.” Find a few that
interest you and research their growing season, soil type specifications, shade to sun
needs, and other care. You will probably want to find some flowering plants that bloom
in Spring, some that bloom in Summer, and some that bloom in Fall. You may also want
to look at trees, shrubs, and grasses.
Visit the local book store. There are so many good books about Central Texas native
plants now.
Call the AgriLIFE Extension office, 757-5180, to ask questions or to get contact
information for their Master Gardeners. These gardeners are experts on local growing
conditions ant the native plants that thrive in them. Other great local resources include
Master Composters (contact through World Hunger Relief Farm) and Master Naturalists
(get their contact information through the Waco Wetlands). Groups that may also help
locally are the Succulent Plant Society and the Pond Society. You can always call Keep
Waco Beautiful with native plant questions, to help locate any of the groups mentioned
above, or for additional resources .
Prepare your soil according to the information you have received. It should be relatively
easy. Use compost and mulch!
Plant your seeds or small plants. Experiment with color, texture, height combinations.
Add compost and mulch! (KWB’s annual compost sale will be held March 3rd at the
Cameron Park Zoo overflow parking lot.)
Water a bit until they are established.
Enjoy the beauty and wildlife with little work!
For lots of great info on seasonal Central Texas gardening, check out Melody’s Gardening at
http://www.centraltexasgardening.net/.