On this shortest day of the year, we take time to look back on one of the bright notes - our native plants were quietly at work every single day of 2023 adding beauty and value to the world we live in. They were feeding the pollinators and the birds. Feeding the mammals, the fish, and reptiles, those that eat plants and those that eat the creatures that feed on plants. Giving them all shelter. Giving us food, too, and oxygen to breathe. Removing carbon dioxide from the air, stopping erosion, and improving the soil. Providing sources of medicine and inspiring inventions through biomimicry. They also looked great in our gardens and brought visitors we enjoyed.
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| Veined Ctenucha moth, Ctenucha venosa, feeding on native chokecherry, Prunus virginiana |
Providing food for insects is perhaps one of the most important things native plants do. E.O. Wilson said:
"If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos."
As they co-evolved with the living beings around them, native plants developed specific characteristics that enabled them to thrive. Native bees are important contributors to local ecosystems, pollinating native plants in the exact places and times when they are blooming.
