Field Notes

You may have heard the terms native, non-native and invasive in the context of plants or animals that live in Northern Indiana. But the meaning of these words might be confusing, as well as how their differences impact the health of our natural resources.

Let’s start by defining our terms…

• Native: a species that originated and developed in its surrounding habitat and has adapted to living in that particular environment. (It can become aggressive, similar to an invasive species.)
• Invasive: a species of plant or animal that outcompetes other species, causing damage to an ecosystem.
• Non-native: a species that originated somewhere other than its current location and has been introduced to the area where it now lives (also called exotic species).

“Native plants are ones that evolved and adapted to a specific area or region without human intervention,” explains Brad Clayton, expert gardener from Clayton Garden Center. In general, a native species will produce robust foliage and/or blooms once established, and quickly attract critters like butterflies and insects. They survive in both dry and rainy weather without suffering.

An invasive plant will spread and prevent other plants from growing. “They cause either economic or ecological loss,” Brad noted. “This can happen by reducing crop yields in agricultural production, or in the case of forestry production, the reduction of desirable species needed for timber.” Although beautiful in their own way, they dominate their ecosystem and don’t provide the nutrients needed by native insects and animals.

Non-native plants share qualities of both: they produce foliage or blooms and don’t take over their habitat. But they’re often not adapted to the environment, and require more care than native plants. If a non-native stays around for long enough, it’s labeled a naturalized plant. (Like the peony!)

Sometimes the differences get blurred. For example, you can have a native plant that becomes aggressive (but not invasive) as it takes over your flowerbed. In the context of a lake, blue-green algae is a native species that causes problems like an invasive would.

You can also have non-native species that stay in one spot and don’t become invasive. Most landscaping plants (especially those planted annually) fall into this category. Although not native, they also don’t disrupt their environment.

These are common aquatic and terrestrial invasive species found in Kosciusko County.

The ideal native plant garden will have a balanced variety of species, much like the landscaping around the Lilly Center’s home in the Dr. Dane A. Miller Science Complex.

“The simplest way to incorporate native plants into an existing landscape is to just plant them,” Brad says. “Look for nativars, which are native plant species that have been cultivated by humans to be more desirable in landscapes.”

For example, purple dome New England aster. “Purple dome only gets 18 inches tall and 1-2 feet wide, compared to its native counterpart which is 4-6 feet tall, and 2-3 feet wide,” Brad explains. Both varieties are excellent food sources in the fall for pollinators looking to stock up before winter.

In the Lilly Center’s native gardens, you can find purple dome aster, swamp milkweed, purple coneflower, blue flag iris, wild quinine, blue-stemmed goldenrod and black-eyed susans, just to name a few! Each plant is adapted to keep the others in check and also provides habitat and food for many kinds of insects and animals.

Many local nurseries keep native plants. Reach out to them today!