There are lots of resources to help us choose the native plants we will like best. Most guides will tell us which plants grow best in a particular garden, considering whether it’s shady or sunny, on a slope or flat land, or has dry or wet soil. Many have pictures, because we all want to know how they will look.

For the Buzzline, we also have guides that tell us which native plants are best for supporting wildlife. Why is that important? Yards without native plants don’t feed native insects, and without native insects, the yard is missing the protein that our native wildlife needs to survive. Insects need native plants throughout their life cycle and in general can’t survive on non-native plants.

As a first step, it helps to consult guides that identify plants that are native to our Chesapeake Bay region. There also are lists of “keystone plant species,” the powerhouses of the food chain. Birds, frogs, lizards and much more need lots and LOTS of insects to eat. One brood of baby chickadees alone needs 5,000 to 9,000 insects to make it to adulthood. A native oak tree, for example, can support 534 species of butterflies and moths, Goldenrod 104, and Black-Eyed Susans 20. Hostas, which originate in Asia, support zero.

So it is easy to help! Plant some natives for wildlife, and before you know it you will be seeing more birds, hearing more frogs, and much more.

This page has links to local native plant guides, lists of keystone species in our area, searchable plant profiles, and other lists and information about native plants.