Garden Club Federation of Maine

Native Plants

It has taken more than 10,000 years since the end of the last ice age for our native plant communities to develop. For this reason alone native plants are as much a part of what makes Maine unique as our mountains, lakes, rivers, and coastline. In addition, native plant communities provide vital habitat for Maine’s wildlife.

When planning your next landscape project, consider using native species. Native plants have several advantages over introduced plants, including winter hardiness, pest resistance, and low maintenance needs. Native plants tend to grow better than introduced species because they have evolved under local growing conditions. Native plants are less prone to disease and, once established, require less watering and fertilizer than non-native species. Also, they can reduce the amount of lawn you need to mow!

Whether you are building or moving into an established neighborhood, plan your landscape to take advantage of the wide variety of native plants that may already be growing on your property. Supplement these with well-chosen native plants from a reputable nursery.

Design choices are as diverse with native plants as with introduced species. There are trees, shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers to choose from. Native plants come in a vast array of blooms and adding interest to your landscape throughout the year. Many native plants have colorful, decorative leaves in a variety of shapes.

If you want a formal looking yard, group similar plants and colors together, with spacing wide enough to allow plant distinction. If you prefer a more natural look, scatter a variety of plants at random. Then, allow the plants to grow into each other, providing a free flowing form. Whatever your design, the soft pastels of delicate wildflowers are a welcome sign of spring. In winter, tall grasses and silhouettes of leafless shrubs add a texture to the landscape that a mowed lawn will never offer.

Native plants can attract native animals such as butterflies and birds by providing food and shelter. Fruits such as acorns or berries are vitally important, but sometimes other benefits are less noticeable. Many animals are host-dependent - - that is, they need a specific type of plant to survive. Butterfly larvae may chew on some new plants you have worked hard to establish, but that could be a small price to pay if you will be rewarded with magnificent butterflies in a few short weeks.

Since the settlement of this country, there has been a rapid decline of both native plant and animal species. Some introduced plants have become invasive, taking over where wild plants once thrived. Planting native plants in your backyard is a step towards preserving your own natural heritage.

Please remember that native species should only be obtained from reputable nurseries and garden centers that offer a selection of plants indigenous to the area. By asking a few questions, you can get the information you need to "go native" in your backyard!

The University of Maine Publication #2502 was updated in 2008. You can find this publication online at:

www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/2502.htm

Perhaps your favorite nursery is not on this list. This is the perfect time to educate them and ask if they can find a source for native plants.

For trees, try cornus alternifolia (Pagoda dogwood). This tree has a lovely form with graceful horizontally tiered branches that turn upward at the end; a ‘pagoda-like’ layering.

cornus alternifolia (Pagoda dogwood) form

The clusters of creamy white flowers are held above the foliage in the spring.

cornus alternifolia (Pagoda dogwood) spring flowers

Loose clusters of blue to reddish- purple berries form in late summer. The fall foliage is red, yellow and orange. Moist soil is very important to this attractive tree, which is at home in the woodland garden under the shade of a sugar maple. It can be placed at the edge of a wooded area where you can enjoy the unique horizontal branching habit, spring flowers and fall foliage. Or, tuck it into a protected alcove around your house, or use it as a specimen tree in a sunny garden where mulching and summer irrigation protect the roots from heat and drought.

cornus alternifolia (Pagoda dogwood) fall foliage

Ilex verticillata (winterberry) is an excellent choice for those spring flooded sites that become dry in the summer. It will tolerate both soil extremes once established. It will grow 10’ tall over time and has wonderful red fall foliage. The bright red berries of female plants will take center stage in winter if you plant a male or two nearby.

Ilex verticillata (winterberry) showing winter fruit

For garden blooms, try Eupatorium maculatum (Joe-Pye Weed). This native likes a moist, sunny area and it will grow 4-6 feet tall. It is an outstanding garden plant topped with huge clusters of magenta flower heads on tall straight stems that butterflies find irresistible. This plant will tolerate some shade. Joe-Pye Weed was an Indian Medicine Man, who is said to have cured typhus in New England with this plant.

Eupatorium maculatum (Joe-Pye Weed) flower buds up close

Eupatorium maculatum (Joe-Pye Weed) blooming in a garden

Aquilegia canadensis (wild columbine) is a beautiful woodland flower. It is an erect, branching perennial with nodding red and yellow flowers alternating with spreading colored sepals and numerous yellow stamens hanging below the petals. The showy drooping bell-like flowers are equipped with distinctly backward-pointing tubes, similar to the garden Columbines.

Aquilegia canadensis (wild columbine)

These tubes, or spurs, contain nectar that attracts long-tongued insects and hummingbirds especially adapted for reaching the sweet secretion. It is reported that Native Americans rubbed the crushed seeds on the hands of men as a love charm. Some sources say that the name is derived from aquila, the eagle. The inverted spurs on the blossoms are supposed to resemble an eagle’s talons. Other sources say that the name is from aqua, water and legere, to collect, from the fluid which collects at the base of the hollow spurs. Once started, Columbine propagates for years and, although perennial, increases rapidly by self seeding.

Each month we will highlight more native plants for you to try in your landscape.

I welcome questions or comments! maineplants@mainegardenclubs.org

Carol J. Smith

GCFM Chairman for Native Plants, Endangered Species & Invasive Plants

For a complete list of University of Maine native plant recommendations go to:

www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/nativeplants.htm

Photo credits:

Reeser Manley

University of Maine Cooperative Extension www.umext.maine.edu

United State Dept. of Agriculture, www.usda.gov

The Native Plant Database http://www.wildflower.org/plants

Other sources of information obtained from

The Heritage of Our Maine Wildflowers by Judith B. Johnson

The New England Wildflower Society website www.newfs.org