Native Plants and Food Crops
By Mary Dudley, CGC Director of Education, and Kymisha Montgomery, CGC Urban Agriculture Coordinator
When I (Mary) am out in the garden or the woods, I often get the feeling that I am rediscovering a missing part of myself—one that needed to be rounded out through exposure to soil, watching the wiggle of a bee pollinating a passionflower or simply inhaling the humid air and feeling a moment of peace. The connection made from my senses to the natural processes happening around me is comforting. I can take a moment to pause the constant thoughts of to-dos and appreciate the biodiversity that is literally buzzing right in front of me.
The edges of my grandfather’s corn and bean fields were always my favorite places to play when we visited the farm. That’s where all the cool beetles hung out, attracted by the native plants growing wild, and I could get muddy boots without tromping through the row crops. When it came time to plan the flowers for my wedding, I took advantage of the bright colors of our fall natives such as goldenrod, teasel, echinacea, black-eyed Susans and senna. My friend and I share our wedding anniversary dates a few years apart, and she also opted for native and wild-collected flowers for her centerpieces, which made for a seamless extension of the goat farm sitting just a few meters away. The vibrancy of these edge habitats was something I brought up when chatting with a visiting winemaker whose vineyards in Italy are surrounded by native plants to attract pollinators and beneficial predatory insects that protect crops.
Biodiversity is an essential element of sustainable agriculture. As we learn from our mistakes and seek to hand the next generation land that is fertile and productive, we cannot forget the role native plants play in supporting biodiversity and thus enabling agriculture at any scale. Native plants benefit my personal wellbeing and our food systems and ecosystems as a whole. As we lean into the benefits of incorporating native plants into our agricultural production rotations and routines, we are building a future that dreams in green!
If you want to start incorporating native plants into your food garden, here are some things to consider from our Urban Agriculture Coordinator, Kymisha Montgomery:
Create a Microclimate
Using native plants to create a microclimate for some of your vegetable crops can be a great benefit to your garden. Take advantage of dappled shade from Paw paw (Asimina triloba) or Serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.) tree to protect your cool weather crops in high temperatures, creating a shield of protection. Be sure to pay attention to the mature size and sun needs of both plants. Some natives grow tall as the season progresses and could possibly shade out many edible crops, leading to lower production. If planted intentionally, tall native plants such as Goldenrod (Solidago sp.) and Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium sp.) can create a wind barrier to slow leaf desiccation.
Attract Pollinators & Helpful Predators
Most of our favorite summer crops—including cucumbers, squash, melons, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants—need pollinators to reproduce outdoors. Using native plants can lead your garden to become a thriving attraction for pollinators of all kinds. Native plants attract and lure specific pollinators depending on their shape, color and smell.
To welcome pollinators to your garden, consider planting Columbine (Columbine sp.), Bee balm (Monarda sp.), Milkweed (Asclepias sp.) Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum sp.) and Coneflower (Echinacea sp.). You’ll also want to incorporate some grasses or sedges into your landscape as these clumps become essential habitat during the winter months. Consider Little blue stem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) or Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis).
Native plants can also serve as a natural Integrated Pest Management (IPM) control, creating a self-regulating ecosystem when beneficial insects prey on the unwanted pests that feast on our harvest. Plant native plants to attract lady beetle larvae who feed on aphids and thrips and ground beetles who eat cutworms and root maggots to give your plants some extra support while they grow.
Improve Soil Health
Native plants can be very effective in stabilizing soil and preventing soil erosion, but they have ways of improving soil health as well. As native plants die back each year, their roots and organic matter add nutrients to the soil and play a crucial role in nutrient cycling, making soil nutrients more accessible to your food crops. Adding native plants can also help break down our dense clay soil, making it easier for roots to establish and root crops to grow. Plants with sturdy tap roots like Wild senna (Senna hebecarpa) and Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) make great soil busters. If you have room for their towering height, we have some Prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum) growing at the June Street entrance to the Civic Garden Center that’s coming up through the asphalt—so you know it’s a tough one!
Our Fall Native Plant Festival on Saturday, September 6 is a great place to learn about and purchase native plant to pair with your edible crops. We’ll even have some brassicas for your cool-weather food garden. We’ll see you there!