Going native
There seems to be a good deal of discussion these days about concepts and definitions of the meaning of native, immigrants, non-native, aliens, and the like. It becomes slightly easier to have this discussion if we remove humans from the equation and just focus on plants, except for the fact that the vast majority of non-native and invasive alien plants were brought to these shores by humans. Nevertheless, let’s narrow down the focus to plants that are native.
Native plants offer us the best opportunity to enjoy growing plants that are adapted to our Ozark environs and make for happy pollinators, assuming, of course, you do not live on a golf course. We already have dozens of native plants well-adapted to the normal flowers garden such as black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia purpurea), various milkweeds including the butterfly-friendly butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa), and the always adaptive purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), one of five native Echinacea species that occur in Arkansas, making this state number one in Echinacea species.
Then we have native woody plants adopted for their beauty throughout temperate climates such as our flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), the gorgeous, but not commonly planted fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus), and black locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia) to name a few.
For moist shaded environments few shrubs rival our native hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), and there is an abundance of native ferns to choose from for your backyard grotto. And this just begins to scratch the surface.
In horticulture, native plants have become a thing. And fortunately for us, Eureka Springs’ first Native Plant Fair will be held from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Community Center. The Fair will include presentations from native plant horticulture phenom, Scott Woodbury, with nearly four decades of experience at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Shaw Nature Reserve; Theo Whitsell, botanist with the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission (the most active plant collector in the state in the last century); and yours truly, along with a native plant sale and hike to Lake Leatherwood. The Native Plant Fair is sponsored by The Native Plant Garden Project, The Eureka Springs Pollinator Alliance, Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists and the Eureka Springs Parks & Recreation Commission.