What Defines a "Native Plant"?

You know you are supposed to plant them, but there's a lot of information, and a lot of confusion, about what constitutes a "native plant". All plants are native to somewhere, right? How does one define what plants are native to a particular region? How do you know which plants are appropriate and most beneficial to plant in your yard?

According to Grow Native Massachusetts, "Plants provide the foundation for life by capturing the energy of the sun and converting it into biomass for the rest of us to eat, and native plants promote the biodiversity necessary for balanced ecosystems. Increasing the health and diversity of these organic systems is critical to counteracting climate change. If we humans want to survive and have a sustainable future, it is time to pay attention to the importance of growing natives everywhere."

For a deeper dive into how native plants are defined in Massachusetts and why they are so important to our local ecosystem, click on the Grow Native Massachusetts logo below: