Planting Plants Native to NC provides value to pollinators (like bees, butterflies, flies, dragonflies, native predatory and pollinating wasps, and even midges and beetles), and also to birds and other wildlife.  I have seen a range of native bumblebees, carpenter bees, sweat bees, and solitary bees, as well as Monarch and other butterflies on my native plants.   Those butterflies need native plants on which to lay eggs that develop into the next generation of butterflies.  Leaving the stems in place during the winter provides places for bees to overwinter.
Having a wide range of native plants in your garden/yard means that pests are less likely to be around.  I have had no issue with pests and don't have to use use insecticides at all.  There is damage to plants by caterpillars, as that is the purpose of Native plants, but it has never yet reached epidemic proportions.  Even if you grow vegetables, having locally adapted plants will encourage pest control and attract pollinators to maximize your yield. 

We are located conveniently on the East edge of Chapel Hill for Durham, Hillsborough, Pittsboro, Mebane, Burlington, Orange, Alamance and Chatham counties, and the rest of Research Triangle Park (RTP) including Raleigh, Apex and Cary.