Installing the Landscape

You’ve done it! You’ve developed a planting plan, and now you’re ready to start transforming your property into a native plant haven for wildlife. You can do this gradually, in small steps, over time. You don’t have to replant your entire yard all at once. You can start by replacing one non-native tree with a native one. You can choose to start in one area of your plan: a sunny butterfly garden, a rain garden, a thicket of cover plants for songbirds, or a section of turf converted into a bed of perennial wildflowers.

Whether you start large or small, proper site preparation, plant purchase, careful installation, and long-term maintenance will all greatly influence the success of your efforts. Here are some tips that will help your native plant landscape thrive.

Where to Get Native Plants

The number of reputable nurseries that specialize in native plants is increasing. Refer to the websites below for a list of native plant providers. These lists are not comprehensive, so consult with local parks, nature preserves, garden clubs, botanical gardens, arboreta, and your local N.C. Cooperative Extension Center for additional native plant providers.

Links to lists of North Carolina native plant providers:

• North Carolina Division of Forest Resources

• North Carolina Botanical Garden

• North Carolina Native Plant Society

Native Plant Sale, Image by Montgomery Parks-CC BY-NC-ND Flickr

Site Preparation

Have your soil analyzed before planting. Collect soil samples from different areas on your property and submit them to USDA for analysis of nutrient content and specific recommendations for preparing your soil before planting.  Each native plant species is adapted to a specific range of soil types, light conditions, and moisture regimes. Know what you have to offer so you can select plants that will thrive in your landscape. 

If possible, remove undesirable plants without using herbicides. Woody plants may be cut to the ground and the stump and roots removed. Eliminate unwanted turf by covering the area(s) with damp newspaper or cardboard and piling several inches of composted leaves and mulch on top.

Plan ahead for winter wildlife habitat

Attract migrating and year-round resident sonbirds by planting evergreen trees and shubs and creating a brush pile to protect wildlife from the cold and predators. Install birdfeeders and keep them clean and full.

Plant Installation

Careful planting greatly increases the likelihood of a plant’s success in the garden.

• Make the planting hole 2 to 3 times as wide as the root ball and only as deep as the root ball. Plant roots grow out, not down.
• Make sure that the plant’s root ball is level with the existing grade and that the root collar is above the soil.
• Use the original soil when backfilling the planting hole.
• Water thoroughly at the time of planting. Continue frequent watering for the first year after installation.

Maintenance

An attractive and functional native plant landscape requires diligent oversight and maintenance. However, over-manicuring degrades the landscape’s value as a wildlife habitat.

• Spread  2 to 4 inches of mulch around plants to conserve soil moisture.
• Prune shrubs and trees during the winter. Never prune during the nesting season, which lasts from mid-March through the end of July.
• Leave the old flower heads on the blooming plants (do not dead head) so that the seeds are available to birds during the fall and winter.
• When native plants flourish and multiply, prevent overcrowding by dividing and sharing new plants with other gardeners.

Butterflies in a native garden Image by Melinda Young Stuart CC BY-NC-ND Flickr

A native plant garden takes several years to establish.

• Avoid using pesticides that may harm the wildlife you hoped to attract. Remember that caterpillars are baby butterflies and bird food. Beneficial insects need something to eat, so leave a few pests for them.
• Continue to take pictures of your yard and record wildlife observations. Use the photos and records to make improvements. Don’t be afraid to change the landscape if the original design or plant selection is not effective.
• Be patient. The first year, a garden sleeps; the second year, it creeps; and the third year, it leaps. It may take 3 to 5 years for wildlife use of native plants to become obvious.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use cultivars to attract wildlife? Cultivated varieties are generally as desirable to wildlife as the wild types. However, some cultivars have been selected for qualities other than their value to wildlife. For example, flower colors that differ from the native species may be less attractive to targeted wildlife, or a shrub cultivar may be selected for the absence of fruit.

Should I collect native plants from the wild? Collecting plants from the wild contributes to the destruction of their natural habitats and often increases the chance of planting failure. Occasionally, local nature centers and botanical gardens initiate native plant rescues from areas soon to be cleared for development – these can be good and appropriate wild sources.

For more information on growing native plants see:

• Phillips, H. 1985. Growing and Propagating Native Wildflowers. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press.
• Bir, R. 1992. Growing and Propagating Showy Native Woody Plants. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press.