The metro Atlanta area, and much of Georgia, is sprouting new subdivisions like weeds. As I drive through areas, I am constantly amazed at the changes that have occurred since my last pass through. As a native plant enthusiast, however, I am disappointed at the landscape choices that are being made. Majestic stands of oaks, hickories, and pines are being replaced by landscapes that are far different from the diverse system that was there.
Manicured lawns, shaped exotic shrubs, and precisely placed trees in precisely cut mulch rings offer little diversity. These landscapes are designed to impress, conform, and be easy to maintain. Each of the elements chosen is familiar to the owner and easy to obtain at the nearest nursery (and easy to replace should it die). Plant names trip easily off the homeowner’s tongue: Bradford pear, crepe myrtle, barberry, Leyland cypress, Indian hawthorn, azaleas (evergreen, of course), forsythia, loropetalum, nandina, waxleaf ligustrum, daylilies, impatiens. These are some of the plants they expect to see, the ones that signify a “landscape.” Unfortunately, several of these plants are considered invasive now, including ligustrum (also called privet) and nandina. Even the Bradford pear is creating offspring in unsuspecting yards and fields.
Conforming is easy. The easy way, however, is not as rewarding. It is an interesting challenge to think outside the box and find native solutions that can work within traditional design principles. Native plants can indeed work within today’s landscape expectations and can provide other benefits as well, including interesting flowers, fragrance, and fall color. They can also provide screening, serve as ground covers, and provide foods for the native insects, birds, and wildlife in the area. Using native plants is an opportunity to do something different and yet natural, an approach that benefits the community . . . the natural community.
As with any good landscape plan, designing with native plants begins with identifying the needs of the landscape and the conditions that exist. A lawn may be required for a play area or perhaps to satisfy elements of a neighborhood covenant. Identify the areas for shrubs and trees, shady perennials, and sun-loving plants. Group plants in natural communities in loose arrangements and combine different species as Mother Nature would have done. Take inspiration from local parks, nature centers or botanical gardens that contain natural areas. Photograph or sketch appealing natural venues and make notes of what plants are naturally growing together. On plant rescues (such as those held by the Georgia Native Plant Society), observe the conditions in which certain plants thrive. Work with nature, mimicking scenes that were appealing in those natural areas: paths, groups of moss-covered rocks, plant combinations. Avoid monotony by offering a variety of plants with different textures and forms. Incorporate xeriscape principles by grouping plants with like watering needs. Create broad sweeps of plant combinations that include trees, shrubs, and perennials; Mother Nature does not design stand-alone trees in neat mulch rings.
This approach is not just for new landscapes. Many people come into a garden that has already been established, yet incorporating natives can still be accomplished. Consider a phased approach. First, identify and replace plants with invasive behavior (ligustrum, nandina, elaeagnus, Bradford pear, English ivy, Japanese honeysuckle, etc.). Next, replace other exotics with good native alternatives as time and budget allow. I confess that I often find an interesting native plant and then decide how to work it into the landscape. The next section provides some specific plant suggestions based on the needs of the landscape. These ideas also apply for existing landscapes that are being transformed.
Once the needs of the landscape have been defined, choosing native plants is no different than choosing exotics, although perhaps a bit more research is needed. Evergreens such as inkberry (Ilex glabra), yaupon (Ilex vomitoria), Florida anise (Illicium floridanum), mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), Catawba rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense), wax myrtle (Morella cerifera), eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), and many others serve the needs of foundation and screening plants of different sizes, and some dwarf cultivars are available. These plants also provide cover for birds, and food in the form of seeds and berries. Flowering trees and shrubs that provide even more berries include native viburnums like smooth witherod (Viburnumnudum), mapleleaf viburnum (V. acerifolium), and arrow-wood (V. dentatum), as well as serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) and fringe-tree (Chionanthus virginicus).
Outstanding foliage color is a treat in the fall when most flowers are gone. For this feature, look for native trees and shrubs such as sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), cultivars of red maple (Acer rubrum), chalk maple (A. leucoderme), scarlet oak (Quercuscoccinea), red oak (Q. rubra), hickory (Carya spp.), blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), and many of the viburnums already mentioned.
Once the “bones” of the design are in place (that is the trees, shrubs, and hardscape), explore the potential of native perennials like cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), coneflowers (Echinacea spp.), goldenrods (Solidago spp.), ferns, and woodland wonders like trillium (Trillium spp.), may-apple, (Podophyllum peltatum), gingers (Hexastylis spp.), bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), fly-poison (Amianthium muscitoxicum), black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), and many, many others. For greater impact, use the standard design principles of grouping for impact and creating colonies of plants much as Mother Nature does. Mix in rocks and moss-covered logs to create the look one might find in natural areas, especially in your shady areas. Adding wood chips will foster the development of mushrooms over time.
Using native plants in your design . . . what could be more natural? Using these plants helps to restore the biodiversity that was damaged when construction took place. Native insects, birds, and mammals all benefit from bringing back the plants that are native to the area. From design to implementation, however, the journey is an exciting one for the gardener as well. It is one of discovery and a return to our roots, so to speak. Gardening is more than just stopping by the nursery to get a cartful of the “usuals.” Enjoy the hunt for your selections, and enjoy introducing them to those that
visit your garden . . . both your wildlife visitors and the human ones. You might just inspire others to incorporate natives as well.
Speaking of inspiration, my inspiration to write this article came from a book on the Georgia Native Plant Society reading list, Landscaping with Nature by Jeff Cox, and several articles about gardening naturally. The GNPS reading list appears in the Resources section of the GNPS website (www.gnps.org) and provides a list of many tried and true books, updated often with new selections. One of my favorite books is The Southern Gardener’s Book of Lists by Lois Trigg Chaplin. This book is very helpful in identifying a list of plants for a given cultural situation (for example, “Trees with Ornamental Berries or Seedpods”). Although the list includes non-natives, you need not choose them! Other good GNPS resources include two brochures, “Landscaping with Native Plants in the Georgia Piedmont” and “Gardening with Native Plants.” Both are available in PDF format on the GNPS website (under GNPS Brochures in the GNPS Information section).
NOTE: This article first appeared in the newsletter of the Georgia Native Plant Society. It is reprinted here with permission of the author.
