– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension
Before selecting plants consider the goals for your native plants.
Interest in utilizing native plants in residential landscapes is on the rise and OSU Extension encourages the practice of considering native plant choices for landscape plants when they fit the site conditions and goals of the grower. Native plants in Ohio settings would be plants that were documented to have been present across the state prior to European colonization. These plants are adapted to local conditions, pressures, and threats. As a result, they typically require fewer inputs to thrive than introduced species.
Native trees, shrubs, flowers, legumes, and grasses are all options for incorporation in landscapes. Over the next few weeks, this article will cover some of the considerations for each category of plants and suggested plants for use in Southeast Ohio. The first thing we will cover is understanding environmental conditions that influence growth and grower goals.
Soil texture, type, traffic, moisture, and shade are all important site concerns to pay attention to before committing to a specific plant. Soil types vary widely over short spans of ground. You may easily have more than one soil type in the area you wish to landscape. Observe areas where plants naturally co-habit and why. This can give you clues to the soil conditions in that space. Follow up these observations with soil tests to determine your starting point for choosing plants tolerant of your conditions or how to amend the site to fit the plants you wish to grow.
Also consider the main goals of the landscape. Many growers gravitate to native plants to provide wildlife habitat. Depending on if you wish to attract insects, birds, or mammals, the plants that serve you best may vary. If you are looking to provide privacy, color, fragrance, or other aesthetic value, choose plants know to possess the traits you desire, not just what is conveniently available. If you are looking for plants that thrive in areas where nothing else does, you may need to choose plants that thrive in dry soils, wet soils, low pH, shade, or where human, animal, or equipment traffic is high.
Make a list of the traits you are looking for and rank them by priority before browsing seed catalogs and nurseries. These are the building blocks of your landscape design.
Come back and read next week’s article to move on to the next step!