Beyond the Native Label
Native plants play an important role in supporting wildlife, but ecological landscaping involves more than a percentage on a plant list. Site conditions, plant diversity, invasiveness, habitat, maintenance, and even cultivar selection can all be part of the conversation. In our latest blog, we take a closer look at native and non-native plants, what makes a landscape ecologically thoughtful, and why there may not be one answer that fits every site.
Beyond the Native Label
Few topics in horticulture can start a conversation quite like the words “native plant.” For some, an ecologically responsible landscape means planting exclusively native species. Others take a more flexible approach, particularly in highly modified urban landscapes where the goal may be to provide habitat, reduce input, manage stormwater, improve soil, or simply create a functioning planting where very little was functioning before.
There is room for a thoughtful conversation here, and we know not everyone will agree.
We also think that is okay.
Native Matters. But Context Matters, too!
There is strong evidence behind the ecological value of native plants. Native species are adapted to the soils, climate of their region, and many provide food, shelter, nesting material, or host resources for local wildlife.
For a habitat restoration project, wildlife garden, or planting adjacent to natural areas, native plants should generally be a major part of the conversation. But “native” and “ecologically useful” are not always interchangeable terms.
A landscape can provide habitat through its structure, diversity, bloom time, plant density, leaf litter, reduced pesticide use, and management practices. Site conditions and project goals matter, too. A planting in a highly developed parking lot is not operating under the same ecological circumstances as a restoration project bordering a high-quality woodland or meadow. The landscape has context. Plants do, too.
Not all Non-Native Plants are Invasive
This distinction is important. A non-native plant simply occurs outside the region where it evolved. An invasive plant is a non-native species that spreads and causes ecological, economic, or other harm. Those terms shouldn't be used interchangeably.
That doesn't mean non-native plants automatically provide the same ecological value as natives. They generally don't replace the specialized relationships many native plants have with local wildlife. But a non-native plant that remains contained and provides nectar, structure, are drought tolerant or provide other resources is a different conversation from a plant that escapes cultivation and displaces native communities.
Even The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation has documented gardens that intentionally include some non-native flowering plants alongside natives, when those plants provide additional nectar resources for pollinators.
That is not an argument for filling a landscape with exotic ornamentals. It is a reminder that ecological function can be more complicated than a plant's passport.
Diversity is Part of the Equation
A thoughtful planting considers more than a checklist of species. Think about layers, bloom periods, plant families, growth habits, habitat resources, and how the planting will change over time. A mix of trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, grasses, sedges, and groundcovers can provide different resources and structures throughout the year.
North Creek's own plant library reflects this approach. Native plants such as Echinacea purpurea, Panicum virgatum, and many of their cultivars can provide food and structure for wildlife while also handling the realities of designed landscapes. Purple coneflower, for example, offers nectar during flowering and seeds later in the season, while switchgrass provides cover, nesting material, and seed resources.
Cultivars add another layer to the discussion. Cultivars are selected for particular traits such as flower color, form, foliage, or disease resistance, and those changes can sometimes affect their value to wildlife. Research on the long-term effects of these changes is ongoing. Both the National Wildlife Federation and Smithsonian Gardens recommend considering how dramatically a cultivar differs from the original species when wildlife value is a priority.
So yes, even the plant nerds have homework.
And Then There is Maintenance
A well-designed planting can lose some of its ecological value through poor management.
Frequent mowing, excessive cleanup, pesticide use, removing all leaf litter, or continually disturbing the soil can reduce habitat regardless of how impressive the plant list looks on paper. Xerces emphasizes that pollinator habitat needs more than flowers, it also requires nesting sites, shelter, overwintering resources, and protection from pesticides.
This is where an ecological landscape becomes more than a shopping list. What we plant matters. How we manage it matters, too.
Know the Plants you are Putting into the Landscape
None of this means we should shrug at invasive species or treat native plants as optional. Quite the opposite!
North Creek has changed its own offerings when evidence and experience warranted it. Carex flacca and its cultivars, for example, were removed from our offerings years ago because of concerns about invasive behavior. You live and you learn, there’s nothing wrong with that. However, taking responsibility is key and actively making changes reflects on who you are.
That is an important part of responsible horticulture: continuing to evaluate plants rather than assuming that everything in cultivation is automatically appropriate. For a project near an undisturbed natural habitat, the bar should be especially high. Know what a plant does beyond the planting bed. Research whether it has invasive tendencies in your region, understand how it reproduces, and consider what might happen 10 or 20 years down the road.
So, does a Landscape Have to be 100% Native?
For some projects, 100% native may be the right goal. For others, particularly highly altered sites, the answer may depend on the purpose, location, surrounding ecosystem, plant selection, and management plan. There isn't a single percentage that magically turns a landscape from ecological to non-ecological.
What we can do is make better decisions.
Prioritize native plants where their ecological relationships are especially important. Avoid known invasive species. Choose plants suited to the site. Build diversity and structure. Reduce unnecessary inputs. Leave some habitat behind when maintenance crews arrive with their rakes and mowers. And keep asking questions to better understand the plant-wildlife relationship.
Because ultimately, ecological landscaping isn't about winning an argument over a plant list. It's about creating landscapes that function. And there is probably room for more than one thoughtful way to get there.
Important Note
And yes, we know this is a topic that can get people talking. There are strong opinions on all sides of the native-versus-non-native conversation, and reasonable people may come to different conclusions based on their goals, region, and experience. That’s okay. We can advocate for native plants, make thoughtful choices about what we put in the ground, and still be respectful of someone who approaches the question differently. At the end of the day, we’re all better served by sharing information, asking questions, and keeping the conversation friendly, even when we don’t all agree on the plant list.
