Without native plants, how would one experience Missouri? Strolling through Forest Park, the thrumming of hummingbirds and buzz of native bees would be hauntingly absent. Squash, a seasonal delight, would not grace as many Thanksgiving dinner tables. Rising temperatures, induced by climate change, would occur in the absence of a native plant carbon sink.
In short, as John Muir, founder of two national parks, observed: “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” Native plants help increase crop yield, help reduce climate change, and are essential to the survival of native animals—it’s all connected.

Native plants contribute to producing the iconic “chick-a-dee-dee” of the Chickadee (a native bird). To raise one nest of chickadee babies, parents must forage up to 9,000 caterpillars, according to acclaimed entomologist Doug Tallamy. According to the Missouri Prairie Foundation, many native caterpillars depend on specific native plants and subsequently become a food source for birds.
These plants also support native bees, such as the Squash Bee, which excels at pollinating squash. Native bees and companion plants are vital cogs in the delicate and intricate native ecosystems, with each species dependent, to some degree, on others. Yards dominated by non-native species create “food deserts” for many native birds, depriving them of the native insects that rely on native plants to feed their young. Yards with native plants, however, can counteract this, providing an oasis filled with nutrition for these birds.
Deborah Grossman, Clayton Board Chair of the Sustainability Advisory Committee, convenes with the committee to advise the mayor, alderman and city staff on sustainable practices. For the purpose of the committee, protecting the environment, native planting is a priority.
“Native plants thrive here, developed over eons to thrive in our environment,” Grossman said. “A lot of people think ‘Ugh, they’re so ugly.’ But they’re really not.”
Programs supported by the Sustainability Advisory Council include “Leave the Leaves,” an initiative to discourage raking, instead providing fallen leaf coverage for larval insects. The council also encourages choosing native species for yards, as their roots can more aptly prevent soil erosion. High school librarian Lauran DeRigne decided to plant all native plants on her lawn, citing benefits including less watering required and more soil stability.

“I had all lawn, and I had only squirrels, and then when I started [native] planting, my yard was full of things like butterflies, bees, snakes, bugs and all these different birds,” DeRigne said. “So I think people need to realize that they can do little things that make a big difference.”
DeRigne started a faculty plant swap two years ago, helping beginners initiate native gardens. Faculty meet on the Friday before Mother’s Day to swap half-grown plants and spare seeds.
“I started it two years ago, because when I started my native garden one of the cheapest ways I was able to create my garden was to do all these swaps in St. Louis, and they were great,” DeRigne said.

Since Missouri was updated to Hardiness Zone 7a in 2023, indicating a wider range of sustainable plants, many native perennials are now available for planting. Planting native in their yards reduces water use, pesticide use, and pollution from lawn mowing, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Ben Murphy, an AP literature teacher, has recently made the decision to plant a mix of native flowers, like the Purple Coneflower, in his yard.
“To know that I’m doing something that is not just nice to look at, but also helps the environment, makes the gardening more satisfying,” Murphy said.
Murphy recently removed about 220 square feet of his fescue lawn to cultivate a more sustainable yard. Additionally, he has limited his lawn-mowing over the past year, cultivating a more welcoming habitat for insects. Reduced lawn-mowing promotes backyard bees, according to Science Direct.
“I have gradually realized that with all the gardening I do, I should be more conscious about creating environments for native insects, especially pollinators, to gather pollen and to multiply,” Murphy said.
For people wanting to keep their turf lawns, Jeffrey Hatchard, Garden Heights Nursery perennial buyer, recommends planting native wildflowers and grasses on flower beds and lawn borders. Nurseries are a knowledgeable resource for getting started in this process.
“What the average person can do to preserve biodiversity is support the local farm, the local businesses, [and] your local nursery,” Hatchard said. “Just to start off with, try to incorporate a little more biodiversity into your life, or into your landscape.”
Hatchard was introduced to gardening by cultivating jalapeno peppers, squash and other vegetables alongside his grandparents. He is now a horticulture industry veteran, with 12 seasons at Garden Heights. Popular native plants sold at the nursery in early spring are Blue Wild Indigo and Columbine perennials. For later in the season, native Asters and Goldenrod are top choices. However, the best-seller is the Butterfly Milkweed, a host for the Monarch Butterfly and Swallowtail Butterfly.
“They lay their eggs on this host plant,” Hatchard said. “You get the larval stage, or the little caterpillars, and you get the chrysalis stage, where they cocoon. And then ultimately, you get the adult butterflies, they’re attracted to the beautiful flowers themselves.”

Currently, native plants, and therefore native butterflies, are under threat from invasive species. Prominent invasive species in Missouri include the Bradford Pear, the Burning Bush and the Bush Honeysuckle. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, Bush Honeysuckle inhibits oak saplings from reaching maturity, raising concerns over the future of Missouri’s oak forests. To limit their spread, volunteers collaborate in Honeysuckle Sweep events, cutting bushes and applying herbicides to their stumps.
“Anything that just spreads and takes over the natural habitat can be very damaging to our fragile ecosystem for sure,” Hatchard said. “It probably doesn’t give you the same benefits as a native Missouri plant would.”
Beyond environmental benefits, gardening, including native gardening, offers exercise and reduces the risk of depression for gardeners, according to The Nation’s Health.
“I would like to encourage everyone just to try gardening. I think it’s very peaceful to be out there and digging in the dirt,” Murphy said. “I enjoy the physical labor of it, the way I feel connected to the earth.”