Landscaping decisions shape biodiversity, water use, fire behavior, and climate resilience — whether we realize it or not. Most non-native plants are not “bad.” Many are beautiful. Some are well-behaved in garden settings. But plant choices are not neutral. When we introduce plants from other regions, we change ecological relationships that have developed over thousands of years. The Ecological Reality California’s native plants evolved alongside local insects, birds, mammals, soil microbes, and climate patterns. These relationships form the foundation of functioning ecosystems. When non-native plants dominate landscapes: They may not provide food for native insects and pollinators. They can reduce habitat available to wildlife. Some species escape cultivation and become invasive. Invasive species can alter soil chemistry, water cycles, and fire behavior. Certain exotics hybridize…
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California Native Plants: Biodiversity, Water Savings & Climate Benefits
Biodiversity & Ecology California hosts approximately 6,500 species, subspecies, and varieties of native plants that occur naturally in the state. Many of these are found nowhere else on Earth. (California Dept. of Fish & Wildlife) Of these native plants, more than 2,000 taxa are endemic — meaning they evolved here and occur nowhere else on Earth. Botanical inventories have historically estimated over 2,100 endemic plant taxa within the California Floristic Province portion of the state. (Wikipedia) The California Floristic Province is one of 36 globally recognized biodiversity hotspots — regions defined by exceptional concentrations of endemic species and significant habitat loss. (Wikipedia) Orange County is often described as a “hotspot within a hotspot,” with more native plant species per square mile than Yosemite National Park….