Information - Going Native
Why should we care about our native plants’ communities?
"Too often people think that the plants native to a place are ‘common’ and of less value than those imported from somewhere else. As long as we hold onto these values that elevate exotic plants over natives, we risk overtaxing the water resources on which our survival in a desert environment depends."
–Tomas Johnson
John Wesley Powell, cartographer and early explorer of Utah’s Colorado Plateau, emphasized that the scarcity of water with respect to farmable land in this region would severely limit the scale of it’s eventual cultivation. Here nearly one hundred and fifty years down the road and Powell’s observations have not lost any of their significance. We in the arid west are beginning to acknowledge that as our cities grow and as the climate warms, our current rate of water use cannot be sustained indefinitely. We need to begin at home, in our own yards, by evaluating the ways in which we use water and by smartly cutting out excesses. At Grow Wild Nursery, our mission is to help Wasatch Front residents understand how to plan a smarter landscape using plants that are native to Utah, to help create an awareness of our native plant communities as well as practical uses for native plants in the urban landscape. We sincerely hope that in the end, our customers will be excited to go native not only to save water, but also out of appreciation for the unique beauty that is found right in our own backyard.
The Wasatch Front, and by and large the attitude of its inhabitants is defined by the grand Wasatch Mountains, the last range in the Basin and Range physiographic province. The topography of the Wasatch provides a wide range of altitude, temperature, and annual precipitation, causing the native vegetation to organize into communities based on the availability of water. We as gardeners can learn how to take cues from these native plant communities that surround us when we consider plants for use in our own yards, and how we can use them in interesting ways. There is no competition when it comes to landscape design; Mother Nature has by far the best style. It is for this reason especially that we encourage all aspiring native gardeners to explore the undeveloped hills and valleys and plains of Utah. As you do this you will begin to notice some patterns emerge around you in how native plants group themselves together, and how you almost always find certain plants grouped together as if they were the best of friends. Though the boundaries of plant communities are blurred and overlapping, once you are familiar with these essential native plant communities and their key indicator species, you will find a wealth of inspiration to take home to your own garden, and you will already have a good idea what conditions your favorite plants tolerate. Below are the 8 essential plant communities found across the Wasatch Front:
- Salt Flats and Saline Meadows Community
- Sagebrush and Grasslands Community
- Gambel Oak Community
- Bigtooth Maple Community
- Aspen and White Fir Community
- Spruce and Douglas Fir Community
- Alpine Meadows Community
- Riparian Community
Many useful species in the first 3 plant communities above can be grown with very little supplemental water in the greater Salt Lake area. Species from the Bigtooth Maple, Aspen/White Fir, Spruce/Douglas Fir, Alpine, and Riparian communities may also be used for landscaping across the Wasatch Front with increasing amounts of supplemental water after establishing. Many very attractive species from each of these communities can be useful and elegant in an urban landscape.
Lost in many urban landscape designs is any shred of context with the untrammeled spaces and the feel of the landscape that surrounds a specific city or town. A native garden does not have to be a complete restoration of the home-site to its pre-development plant community; there is much room for expression and for creating a unique and functionally inspired landscape design that is respectful of the scarcity of water in a desert area. A carpet of Kentucky Bluegrass requires over 1 gallon of water/square foot/week and lawns are frequently over-watered. A carpet of native yarrow, Blue Gramma, or Buffalo grass for example, might only require 1-2 applications of supplemental water per month, sometimes a little more during the hottest part of the year. There are nearly limitless groupings of native species that you could substitute for these three listed that would provide year-round interest and require a fraction of the water used to maintain a typical lawn.
Grow Wild Nursery provides a complete palette of natives from lush riparian plants, grasses, evergreen, and wildflowers, mountain shrubs, trees and conifers, to more arid species of the desert southwest for use in urban landscape designs. We also work with experienced landscape and irrigation contractors and can facilitate consultations, planning, and installation of a home or office landscape including custom southwest stonework and walls, drip irrigation or spray (more information on landscaping on the ‘Urban Planting/Design’ Concepts page). Whatever the style of your house or existing landscape, whatever your specific tastes are, Grow Wild Nursery has the best selection of northern Utah natives. Please come by our retail store on 2100 South, in Sugarhouse (372 East) and let us know what we can do to help you.
