The importance of protecting native North Alabama plants
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — For many people, an isolated patch of field may not seem like much. But for some, it is a patch of field full of life that is worth protecting.
For Earth Day, News 19 spoke with the Wild Ones North Alabama Chapter to discuss the importance of protecting native plant species.
Wild Ones is a national organization that is focused on educating the public about native plant species across the country. The North Alabama Chapter was formed in the past couple of years, with its focus on native plants and ecosystems in the Yellowhammer State.
Lauren Linder, North Alabama Chapter board member, has been with the organization since October 2024. She said that the field of gardening has been historically focused on plants that are not native to the United States.
'What that means is almost every lawn, manicured area that you see, like outside of a store or something, that almost all of those are going to be non-native species,' Linder said.
She said that because these plants are not from the areas where they are being planted, they don't have the same insects or herbivores to keep them in control, which leads to them growing outside of where they're supposed to and becoming out of control.
A few examples of these invasive plants are:
Mahonia
Privet
Liriope
English Ivy
Japanese Honeysuckle
Tree of Heaven
Bush Honeysuckle
Silktree
Asian Bamboo
Bradford Pear
Creeping Euonymous
Vinca
These plants are known as the Dirty Dozen and have been sold for decades in nurseries and other gardening facilities. Linder said the reason for the popularity of these plants is that bugs don't eat them, which causes the spread of these plants, pushing out the native ones that support the food web and ecosystem.
'You know, a lot of people will say, 'Well, I've never seen it spread in my yard,' but yeah, you might not see it there. But like, if they have berries, the birds are eating those, flying off and then pooping them out somewhere,' Linder said.
The Alabama Invasive Plant Council published a full list of invasive plants across the state. To see the full list, click here.
According to Linder, there can be a mix-up in defining what an invasive plant is. She said that generally, a native plant is one that evolved in North America before the arrival of the Europeans, and that a non-native plant is one that was brought over from other parts of the world.
However, Linder said that these definitions are very region-based, and that a plant from California could be considered non-native and invasive in North Alabama.
Additionally, she said that terms such as invasive and aggressive can also get mixed up. Linder said that an invasive plant cannot be from the area it's growing in and spread aggressively, and that a native plant can be aggressive but not invasive.
Some examples of plants that are native to North Alabama are:
Black-eyed Susan
Cone Flower
Gayfeather
Beardtounge
Dogwood
Milkweed
To see a full list of native plants in your county, you can visit the Alabama Plant Atlas.
Linder said that the popularity of plants that are not from North Alabama can make it challenging to find ones that are.
'There's a really huge variety, and it's really cool, but because the gardening world has become so dominated by these species that aren't from here, it can be a little difficult to find native plants, but there's been a really big growth and interest in it,' Linder said.
While there isn't a comprehensive list of native alternatives for Alabama, the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council published a guide that could be used as a baseline for Alabamians looking to plant native.
There are also certain insects called 'specialists' that rely on specific native plants to flourish. An example of a specialist is a monarch butterfly.
Linder said that most people will plant a butterfly bush and think that is all they need to do. However, she said that while butterflies can rely on those for food, caterpillars can't. The caterpillars need a plant such as milkweed for food, otherwise, they die, leaving no new butterflies to be born.
Linder said there are not many protections for these plants in Alabama.
'It's such a fight because these areas don't look like what our traditional gardens look like, and so people don't recognize the worth that is there and the kinds of things we won't be able to get back,' Linder said.
To see what else the organization is up to, you can visit their website here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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