Plant Native!

Vegetation that is native to your area will be naturally hardier and more tolerant to your weather conditions. Because they are native to the conditions, they require little maintenance. 

 

Planting native vegetation will reward you with lower water, fertilizer, and pesticide bills. They also provide habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife.

By planting native, you will not only save time, energy and money, but also preserve a sense of place and regional identity.

 

Featured Native Plant:

Aronia arbutifolia - red chokeberry

 

Exposure: Sun to partial shade; tolerates a range of soil types (wet, dry)
Height: 6 to 8'
Flower/Fruit: White flowers in spring; red berries that last into the winter
Comments: Fruit attracts birds; salmon to brilliant scarlet fall foliage; stiff, upright habit with a vase shape;

 

Red chokeberry kicks off spring with white flowers in April-May while the leaves are just beginning to unfurl and expand. Foliage is lustrous green and relatively pest free. The leaves actually become more attractive with cold weather, changing to a brilliant reddish-purple cast in late October. The red chokeberry is a colorful native plant, from white flowers in April to bright-red pomes (fruit) into January or February.