Open Mon-Sat: 9am – 6pm, Sun: 10am – 5pm | 9025 South Lewis Avenue Tulsa, OK 74137.

Native or Not?


By Paul James

Interest in native plants is at an all-time high, as gardeners seek out plants that tend to require less of everything — from water to fertilizer to maintenance — have fewer pest and disease problems, and in the case of flowering plants, attract boatloads of native bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. But just what is a native plant?

There’s surprisingly little consensus as to what constitutes a native plant, and there’s certainly no one-size-fits-all definition. In other words, it depends on who you ask. But here’s what I think is the simplest: a plant that occurs naturally in the place where it evolved. That should work for anyone who insists on growing only plants from a specific region of the country that haven’t been hybridized by humans.

But how do you define a specific region? Is it just Oklahoma? Is it a larger area that also encompasses say Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas? Or the contiguous 48 states? Or the entire North American continent? Once again, it depends on who you ask.

I’ve had heated (but always friendly) discussions with native plant purists, most of whom fall into the camp that considers true natives as those that occur naturally within the aforementioned five state region. Ultimately, those discussions come down to splitting hairs about specific plants.

Take Vitex (Chaste Tree) for example. It’s actually from China and India, but it’s been cultivated in the U.S. since 1670 and has naturalized throughout Texas and southern Oklahoma to the point where it behaves like a native plant. It’s also a powerful pollinator magnet. But because it didn’t evolve here naturally, it technically doesn’t fit the definition of native.

And what about Oakleaf Hydrangea? It happens to be my favorite shrub, but strictly speaking it’s not native to any of the five states listed. However, it is found in the wild in eight southeastern states, including as close as Louisiana, and that’s close enough for me. 

So while I wholeheartedly endorse the notion of planting only natives in our gardens, I’m not a purist. After all, I’m a big fan of many non-natives plants, including Asian beauties such as azaleas, hydrangeas, Japanese maples, numerous conifers, even daylilies. Those plants aren’t from here, but they nevertheless thrive here. That’s why I’m willing to stretch the definition of native to include plants that have adapted to our region, provided they aren’t invasive and don’t pose a threat to wildlife, including insects.

Finally, a word about hybrids. This is where definitions get really tricky, because strictly speaking hybrids developed by plant breeders can’t be considered native. In the case of Coreopsis and Echinacea, for which there are many true natives, there are also dozens of hybrids. And while the hybrids may have different flower colors or leaf textures than their native cousins, they nevertheless share the same genetics. And so long as they provide access to the nectar and pollen insects need, I’m okay with them.

But admittedly, a lot of native plant enthusiasts would disagree with me, albeit in a heated, but friendly fashion.

 

Happy gardening, y’all.