Using Native Plants in Small Spaces

Native plants in a suburban garden get a bad rap.  Natives have a reputation for being messy and hard to manage because they are often planted with perennials. Some gardeners leave their perennials to dry, which attracts birds.  Others run out of time in the fall and wait to cut back their plants in the spring, leaving untidy beds. Regardless of your gardening style, native perennials, shrubs, and small trees deserve a place in your garden, according to Kate Brands, author of the book: Native Plants for the Small Yard.  She says that natives are beautiful, have many ecological benefits and fit well into a residential landscape. Let’s explore why.

A plant is considered a native if it has occurred naturally in a particular region, ecosystem or habitat without human introduction.  Ideally your native plant selection should first start in your region then expand to larger reference areas.  To illustrate, let’s start with Pittsburgh, where Holly and I live. When I design a landscape, I start by selecting plants from Western, PA.  If necessary, I’ll expand my search to native plants that grow across the entire state.  Finally, should my client have a very specific need, then I expand the search to those which are native to North Eastern US, then to  North America. Plants introduced during colonization by Europeans or in trade with South America, Africa or Asia are NOT native.  Pennsylvania plants are primarily deciduous, so to create a foundation planting that has winter interest, we sometimes expand our tolerance for native plants to include evergreens from the broader North America.  For a small city yard which has growing conditions in a zone higher than the suburbs due to radiant heat reflected from paving and brick, we occasionally consider native plants slightly south of our region. ​

Why use native plants?  According to Kate Brands, at least one third of the world’s food supply is dependent on pollinators. Aside from the well-known honeybee there are thousands of species of native bees, wasps, moths, butterflies and other insects in North America that are important for pollination of our food. These native pollinators depend on native plant species for survival. Non-native plants are not part of this food chain. For example, most species of native caterpillars rely on native plants. In keeping with the idea of a food chain, many birds rely on these native caterpillars. One nest of baby chickadees requires 350 to 570 caterpillars every day, depending on how many chicks there are. So, an incredible 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars are required to raise one clutch of chickadee to adults. Almost all baby birds require insects like caterpillars to grow, even birds that mature into seedeaters. What we plant in our landscapes determines what can live in our landscapes.

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There are many other reasons for going “native.” Beauty is made easy. Native plants have a more subtle color palette that mimics nature, so they look naturally beautiful and unified to our eye when grouped together. Choosing a wide assortment of plants also ensures seasonal interest, with the bonus of attracting colorful birds and butterflies. Many people support the local food movement. Native plants are a keystone species for growing local food since so many pollinators depend on native plants to survive. Nature, which inherently includes native plants, gives people a sense of place. These plants are tied to the landscape and culture of our local area.

Native plants have less need for herbicides and pesticides, resulting in a healthier yard for your family and pets. Native plants co-exist with nature rather than competing with it, so they’re often easier to maintain than nonnative species. When used in stormwater management projects, native plants hold stream banks in place, prevent erosion, absorb water, and filter pollutants from our waterways.

Natives can also be used as alternatives to commonly sold invasive plants.  This graphic is from Kate Brand’s book (Pennsylvania Natives):

Information rich resources include the websites listed below.  They offer adjustable plans, plant lists for a variety of conditions as well as growing conditions for each plant.

• Native Plants for Small Yards
• IconservePA
• Beechwood Farms Audubon Society of Western PA
• PA Native Plant Society

The most challenging part of using natives in a small space is choosing trees.  Often native shrubs will grow into small trees. For small yards, it is important that each plant works for the real estate it uses.  Trees and shrubs should have at least two, and better yet, three seasons of interest. For example a chokeberry has spring flowers, summer berries and fall color.

Courtesy: Kate Brand's book page 54: Native Plants for the Small Yard

Courtesy eplans 1040-99

When designing with natives, choose a bed shape and plants that suit your tastes and lifestyle. When planning a new flower garden or adding to one you already have: 

• Start small. You don’t have to convert your whole yard to native plants. Instead try introducing native plants little bits at a time. It’s more economical and this approach will let you get to know each plant well.
• Try a more informal garden, which requires less maintenance. By informal we mean more natural looking as compared to a formal Italian-style garden.
• Curved garden edges have an organic feel and are also easier to maintain than sharp edges. Small spaces benefit from clean bed lines and geometric shapes, like circles and ovals.
• Keep plant choices minimal – especially in a small space. A mix of just a few plants or colors looks better than a lot of different things all at once. Make sure to include evergreens for structure and winter interest.
• Plant a swath or mass of the same plant together. This is the way plants grow in nature and so this kind of planting looks pleasing when we see it in a garden space.
• Include layers of plants, with varying heights and bloom times, so that the ground is ideally covered with plants. This reduces or eliminates the need for the addition of mulch over time since the plants provide their own green mulch once they grow in. Weeds often establish on bare soil, so the idea is to cover the ground with the plants you want and crowd out the ones you don’t. This kind of planting will also help the soil naturally retain moisture, and prevent erosion. If you let plants die back in place, you’ll also feed the soil.
• Container gardens are a good way to start small and to give you the opportunity to get to know each plant.  Not sure you’ll like a new perennial? Place it in a large, attractive pot and locate strategically in a garden bed, patio, or deck.  This way, it can be moved to allow for more sun or shade.
• Know your site requirements: sun exposure, soil (take a soil test), wind, and moisture. Look at what’s growing well in the neighborhood and in areas near your home. Don't forget to consider what has died and why. This information tells a story about the soil, light, pests and wind.
• Read plant labels to ensure the plant hardiness zone and growing conditions fit your site requirements.
• Take time to plan.  The biggest mistake we all make is falling in love with a plant, and purchasing it without knowing if our yards have the correct growing conditions. Nurseries have begun to discontinue plant warranties.  Warranties aren’t always helpful because plants living in the wrong home don’t show stress for 2 or more years.

Hopefully, we’ve made a strong case for integrating native plants into your home landscape. Natives are ideally suited for your local growing conditions. Many natives are keystone species, which are a vital link in the food chain. And lastly, natives are beautiful, require fewer pesticides, and are uniquely suited for water mananagement. Look for displays of natives at your local nurseries and public gardens.