Ontario Native Plants

 The Earth is losing species each and every day as a result of alien invaders. The word alien as used here describes non-native species Ontario Native Plants. A place that originated in Asia and which now grows in Europe and in North America is reported to be an indigenous of Asia and an unfamiliar to its new growing regions.

Plants have now been following behind people on the road for a very long time. Seeds have ingenious ways of hitching a journey on people's clothing and on animal coats. Contaminants come along with plants which can be purposefully moved with people. Coming to a new land people would bring plant starts or seeds of favorite foods and possibly even soil from back home. Animals and water fowl transport many plants in their lifetimes.

Nonetheless they get here, certain alien plants are becoming pests to contend with. Kudzu vines choke the daylight from trees across the highway, phragmites reeds choke out native plants at the edge of the lake, Tear-thumb or Mile-a-minute vines grow over and choke out anything within their path, purple loosestrife has replaced many wetland native species, and the list goes on. Attempting to control the massive plant overgrowth has cost many hours labor for hardly any in results.

In the gardening world there are numerous garden escapees which have naturalized to become the main landscape. Eradication efforts may prove futile together thing the aliens have opting for them is they don't have many predators, if any. This means no natural means of growth control, so folks have to include the effort.

Invasive weeds are only that, invasive. The place where a new plant takes root and finds little competition it is likely to survive and produce offspring. It's similar to survival of the fittest. The greater that the newest plant's offspring can contend with native plants, the more invasive it is. When alien plants compete so well they displace native species, the alarm bells should set off because that means the native plants can become endangered.

We, as gardeners, owe it to ourselves to be the main solution not the main problem. We could garden with native plants and have plenty of success. Native plants are naturally adapted to the region and soil types which can be present. They won't need plenty of extra attention, like constant watering, because they're already adapted to the neighborhood conditions.

Tropical plants that should be surviving in a jungle somewhere would need a lot of extra watering in comparison to an indigenous plant. A great example is really a moisture-loving plant called Elephant's Ear (Colocasia sp.) which is native to tropical Asia. The most effective area for it in a North American garden could be in a water garden so it could obtain the moisture it needs for best growth. As it won't overwinter north of zone 6, northern gardeners must dig up the bulbs or tubers and store them for another growing season. Elephant's Ear growing in a temperate garden won't reach its full stature unless it's artificially maintained with a soaker hose. You will want to be a bit more kind to the surroundings and plant an indigenous grass instead?

One important function that people collectively serve whenever we choose to garden with native plants is that people are in reality establishing a kind of refuge for these native plants. A refuge that seeds or root stock can be studied to help expand reproduce the native plant is really a garden worth tending.

Mary Petersen is a natural gardener who loves to cultivate vegetables and flowers right in the leading yard. While tending her garden Mary is visible using her [http://bestcompactbinoculars.com] to check out butterflies and other cool insects. Visit her latest gardening adventure at and find out about using herbs Ontario Native Plants.