Native Plant Demonstration Garden

Attracting Wildlife

Native beneficial insects and wildlife have pretty narrow food sources in well-manicured lawns and planting beds. While planting any flowers is better than no flowers, native species provide the best food sources for attracting and benefiting local wildlife and those passing through during migration.

Native plants provide the right nutrients and physical structure that native pollinators, insects, birds, and other wildlife are adapted to and rely on. Non-native landscapes reduce habitat variety that would otherwise support greater bird and pollinator abundance. With more lawn, there’s less biodiversity to native wildlife.

Wildlife has three basic survival needs: food, water, and shelter. Expanses of pure, short-turf grasses can’t meet these needs.

Without flowers, there’s no nectar for a butterfly to drink. Without native plants, there’s no food for hungry caterpillars. Without hollow stems, native female bees don’t have anywhere to lay their eggs and reproduce. There’s nowhere for critters to seek refuge from a sweltering summer sun or the relentless pelting of a storm.

Building Resiliency

Native plants aren't just good for birds and bees. They also make the land more resilient to the effects of climate change and can even help prevent it. Carteret County and all of eastern North Carolina experience extended periods of minimal rainfall as well as flooding rains from hurricanes and other storms.

Native plants do more to prevent flooding than a lawn. They have longer roots, which keep the soil in place and help it absorb more water. That, in turn, reduces runoff.

Those roots also trap more carbon dioxide. As a bonus, native plant species are already adapted to living in this climate, so they need less watering and special amendments.

Crepe myrtles, non-native shrubs, impervious sidewalks, and turfgrass make up the current landscaping at the CMAST building.