Greetings from our native plant expert

Baltimore checkerspot butterfly.

Greetings, bird lovers!

We are pleased to present a new monthly series on plants you can grow to attract birds and to support the food web that they depend on. Each month we will feature one or more native plants that home gardeners can add to their landscapes and will tell you what makes them such good choices for both wildlife and you. 

Native plants are important because they have co-evolved over eons with local insects and birds to form a natural balance that benefits all of them. But development has resulted in serious degradation and loss of habitat, forcing many birds and other kinds of wildlife to try to find sustenance in urban and suburban settings. Luckily, many native plants are well suited to these conditions and also bear features that make them highly attractive to people. But native plants are not always easily available, and so they may also be unfamiliar to many readers. 

If you would like to see plants described here but are not sure where to find them, check out public gardens such as the Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College (Valhalla, NY), Garden in the Woods (run by the Native Plant Trust) in Framingham, Massachusetts, and Mt. Cuba Center in Hockessin, Delaware. Many of the plants that we’ll explore are growing at Connecticut Audubon sanctuaries and other natural areas throughout Connecticut.

Nurseries that sell native plants exclusively are, unfortunately, all too rare. But recently, general-purpose nurseries and garden centers have begun to offer more native plants. It’s important to request of your local plant sellers that they carry more natives. Also, public botanic gardens often offer plants for sale. Nasami Farm in Western Massachusetts, also run by the Native Plant Trust, sells native plants to the public. Some organizations, such as the Aspetuck Land Trust and Connecticut conservation districts, hold native plant sales each year. And the Wild Seed Project in Portland, Maine, offers a good selection of native plant seeds by mail order.

We hope you’ll find this monthly column enjoyable and informative. Please send comments and questions to  . We look forward to your feedback!