By Hildur Palsdottir

A few years ago, I made it my mission to rewild the little patch of land outside my home. I got rid of the lawn and returned the land to perennial natives who’ve really enjoyed rehoming and digging their long roots into the soil. 

The benefit of planting natives is that they help with soil health and porosity, and as a result reduce flooding. However strong the precipitation, my New York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) stands tall and digs its roots deep to receive unprecedented rainfall, now the new norm in a changing climate. In superstorms I’ve been amazed at the resilience of this plant, sometimes growing up to 8 feet, bending in the wind but never breaking, completely without support. 

Native plant gardening is super easy. I never have to fertilize and I don’t have to mow. I weed twice a year. Sure, in winter it doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing to the suburban citizen who’s used to chemical lawns, but biologists and everyone who understands ecosystem function delight in the refuge I’ve created for beneficial insects. The long stems of native Joe Pye Weed, asters, goldenrods, milkweed and native sunflowers provide a valuable habitat for numerous species. The leaf litter is a perfect place to overwinter for many insects.

This spring I’m inspired to focus on beautification to bring better curb appeal to my at-home ecosystem. So many of our natives are gorgeous plants, like my favorites the Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) and purple coneflowers. When you plant perennial natives, you have to get used to stepping back and just let them do their thing. They’ll show up differently each year and I delight in the diversity of color, shapes and sizes on display. It’s much less work to “garden” this way. You can have your tea and enjoy the show. 

Also, the natives need no watering or convincing to stay here. They were made for this land. They want to dig their roots into this soil. Once you’ve established your native planting, you can actually stop watering, step back and enjoy watching the natives grow. Birds and butterflies will thank you with their delightful presence. Last year hummingbirds cheerily shared their gratitude with me.

The opposite of native plants, of course, is the scourge of invasive species that have taken over large parts of our landscape. The introduction of exotics, exciting at first due to their novelty and ornamental potential, is now hurting every green space on Long Island. English Ivy dominates the forest floor as ground cover on the North Shore, while native Virginia Creeper and ancient fern struggle to survive. Brought here by colonial settlers in the 18th century, there’s no natural regulation in place for this introduced plant. It’s spreading like a disease, choking out natives and serving no particular ecological function in this region.

Stewards of Leeds Pond Preserve, home to the Science Museum of Long Island, have with the help of Spadefoot Design & Construction and Department of Environmental Conservation been fighting an even more obnoxious weed, Kudzu, for several years now. We should all thank them for controlling the spread of this foot-per-day invasive best known as the “vine that ate the South.” This vine was planted in good faith to fight erosion at the end of the 19th century, but has now claimed large areas in the South with irreparable damage. You can support local efforts to fight invasives by joining as a volunteer or donating to these efforts (http://www.smli.org).

The sale of insect resistant plants has dominated landscaping and suburban beautification for the last 100 years. As a result, our local insects are struggling and this harms our birds who rely on caterpillars and other insects as their food. Climate change amplifies this ecosystem disruption; we’ve lost more than 3 billion birds in North America compared to counts in the 1950s. 

We know invasive species’ expansion is accelerated by climate change and this is a critical threat to our local ecosystem. Early detection, fast removal and strict regulation in the sale of non-natives are essential in this fight to restore balance to our ecosystems in a changing climate. The management of invasives is costly, so proper stewardship of all lands is of both economical and ecological significance to us all. 

This spring you can do your part to restore balance to our broken world. You can replace your lawn with deep-rooted native plants and restore health to our ecosystems, while recharging struggling aquifers. When you prepare your garden for spring, consider recreating a healthy native ecosystem. A chemical free and biodiverse landscape helps with carbon capture and can even be carbon negative. 

Climate-friendly organic gardening always includes native plants. Contact experts at Spadefoot Design & Construction (http://spadefootny.com/) or Dropseed Native Landscapes (https://www.dropseednativelandscapesli.com/) for support if you need guidance and support with your home ecosystem restoration. 

Purchase your plants from trusted vendors, and seek local guidance from Rewild Long Island, North Shore Audubon and the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center. Sign up for their spring plant sale if you’d like to increase the percentage of natives in your yard. Visit the demonstration gardens maintained by North Shore Audubon at the Science Museum of Long Island or Clark Botanical Gardens for creative ideas. The Town of North Hempstead shares great resources on their website https://www.northhempsteadny.gov/purchaseplants.

Start where you are. Become intimate with your living landscape, get to know our public parks and report harmful invasives to the DEC if you notice something out of the ordinary. Our human culture is dependent on healthy ecosystem function. We rely on pollinators, clean air, clean water and fertile soil, to survive. Thankfully, in step with increased pollution of our environment, rewilding is a citizen-led movement that’s taken root on Long Island. Be part of the climate solution, plant natives this spring.