native plants
I’ve been reading more about native plants and the dangers of invasive species lately. I’m realizing how little I know about my home’s (central Indiana, where I’ve lived for all but three years of my entire life) biodiversity. I’m trying to do better, both just to know this place better and in hopes of teaching our children to value the uniqueness of our home. So I thought I would share a little bit of what I’m learning here. I’m hoping you’ll do the same, so we can learn together.
The Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society is the BEST source for information on native plants in general, but it is an especially great resource for those of us who live in Indiana. Seriously, just go poke around that site for awhile, and you’ll be overwhelmed with the amount of great information available to us gardeners. What I found particularly helpful was their list of what NOT to plant in your yard:
crown vetch Coronilla varia
dame’s rocket Hesperis matronalis
Korean lespedeza Kummerowia stipulacea
striate lespedeza Kummerowia striata
white sweet clover Melilotus alba
yellow sweet clover Melilotus officinalis
Japanese knotweed Polygonum cuspidatum
Grasses
miscanthus hybrid Micscanthus x gigantea
Chinese maiden grass Miscanthus sinensis
reed canarygrass, ribbon grass Phalaris arundinacea
common reed Phragmites australis
tall fescue Schedonorus arundinaceus
Shrubs
Japanese barberry Berberis thunbergii
Russian olive Elaeagnus angustifolia
autumn olive Elaeagnus umbellata
burning bush Euonymus alatus
glossy buckthorn Frangula alnus
bicolor lespedeza Lespedeza bicolor
sericea lespedeza Lespedeza cuneata
Amur privet Ligustrum amurense
blunt leaved privet Ligustrum obtusifolium
California privet Ligustrum ovalifolium
Chinese privet Ligustrum sinense
common privet Ligustrum vulgare
Amur honeysuckle Lonicera maackii
Morrow’s honeysuckle Lonicera morrowii
Tatarian honeysuckle Lonicera tatarica
Bell’s honeysuckle Lonicera x bella
common buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica
Trees
Norway maple Acer platanoides
sawtooth oak Quercus acutissima
Siberian elm Ulmus pumila
Vines
Asian bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus
wintercreeper Euonymus fortunei
English ivy Hedera helix
Japanese hops Humulus japonicus
Japanese honeysuckle Lonicera japonica
periwinkle Vinca minor
I’m sure you, like me, recognize many of those varieties in your own yard. We’re working to replace those where they exist in our yard (when practical) with native species. The natives that we have used have thrived in our yard. It is especially noticeable after the past several growing seasons with very wet springs and dry summers because the natives are doing well, even thriving, while the non-native species have either died or require much more water and maintenance throughout the dry summers particularly.
Mark your calendars now for the INPAWS Native Plant Sale on Saturday, May 11 at Park Tudor School. The Hamilton County Master Gardener Association has a great sale with lots of natives (including trees) as well on Saturday, May 18 at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds.
