Selecting the right native plants is a crucial step in the planning process.
The success of a restoration project depends on the careful selection of appropriate plant materials, particularly native plants. Whether you’re planning to restore a local forest or marshland, choosing the right plants is critical to the short-term and long-term prosperity of the area. Not only is it important to select native plants from locally adapted sources, but restoration managers must ensure that they are maintaining adequate genetic diversity.
Source of Origin
The source of origin sheds light about the plant’s genetic background and if it’s able to adapt to the proposed environment. It doesn’t define the location where the plant was grown. For example, although the American Native Plants nursery is located in Middle River, Maryland, the plants they grow and distribute are not necessarily from Middle River, Maryland. It’s important to choose plants from a known source of origin to ensure they can adapt to local conditions over an extended period of time.
Genetic Variation
It isn’t enough to choose local plants that are suited for the proposed environment. Project managers must also maintain genetic variation throughout the restored area. Maintaining genetic variation contributes to the long-term success of the project, and reduces the likelihood that close plant relatives will mate. Planting in high numbers can also increase genetic variation and reduce the possibility of inbreeding.
Professional Advice
If you’re unsure how to select the right plants for your project, remember that American Native Plants is your comprehensive source for the restoration-landscape industry. Whether you visit our nursery or shop our online database, our team can help you select the right natives for your project. Whether you’re looking for native trees, shrubs, or herbaceous plants, our team can help!
VISIT AMERICAN NATIVE PLANTS
Whether you’re looking to build a rain garden or beautify your property, American Native Plants can provide you with the right plants for the job. With an inventory of over 400,000 native trees, native shrubs, and herbaceous plants consider American Native Plants, your one-stop shop for wholesale native plant needs.
Our nursery, conveniently located in Middle River, Maryland, is open year-round to accommodate your native plant needs. We are constantly updating and increasing our inventory to meet the demands of our customers.
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