8 Reasons to Love Native Plants

At Modern Electric Water Company, we encourage our customers to embrace gardening with plants that are native to the Spokane Valley area.

As Lady Bird Johnson once said, native plants "give us a sense of where we are in this great land of ours."

Native plants benefit native wildlife, the environment and you!

Here are 8 reasons to incorporate native plants into your landscape this spring:

1) Save Water

Native plants have adapted to the soil in which they grow, so they require less water than non-native plants and usually don't need irrigation. This means you'll also save time and money.

2) Survive Spokane Valley Weather

Native plants have adapted to local climate and soil and weather conditions where they naturally occur. This gives them an edge when it comes to surviving the elements in Eastern Washington.

3) Control erosion

Thanks to their deep root systems, native plants help stabilize and anchor the soil. Some native grasses have fibrous root systems that cling to the soil and prevent it from washing away. Ground covers work well for erosion control as well.

4) Reduce water runoff

Native plants have deep and extensive root systems that prevent erosion and provide extra filtration. Since they don't require fertilizers and harsh chemicals that wash into waterways, they're great for maintaining water quality.

5) Low maintenance

Native plants generally have higher survival rates than ornamental plants, which makes them low maintenance. They're also better at defending themselves from weeds and may not need fertilizers, pesticides or even mowing.

6) Save money

Over a 10-year period, maintaining a natural landscape can cost FIVE times less than conventional landscape maintenance. You'll use less water. No need for fertilizers and pesticides. What's not to love?

7) They're beautiful

Variety of textures, colors and heights give your landscape stunning appeal!

8) Preserve biodiversity

Native plants help our natural ecosystem survive. They create a habitat that is necessary for wildlife and essential to sustaining biodiversity and resilient landscapes.