The flash freeze in December in Middle Tennessee killed many exotic evergreen shrubs. Naturalist and author, Joanna Brichetto, makes a strong appeal for choosing certain deciduous and evergreen shrubs in her article, “Skip the Skip Laurel, Say No to Nandina: Choose Native”. She includes an extensive list of the names of shrubs to look for and locations where these can be purchased. As a member of the Middle Tennessee Chapter of Wild Ones and of the Tennessee Native Plant Society, she shares factors to consider when choosing plants and the reasons why ‘choosing native plants’ plays an important role in our environment. The following is an excerpt:
“If your exotic evergreens are now “ever-brown” from the recent freeze, this is an ideal time to upgrade to natives. It doesn’t make sense to simply plant more of the same: the same non-native foundation shrubs that are anything but foundational to our ecosystem. Laurel, boxwood, nandina, Chinese holly, euonymus, false cypress, red-tips, Japanese cedar, and so forth: plants that evolved with creatures and conditions on different continents. What we need in Tennessee are more shrubs that evolved nearby. Native shrubs can be more likely to survive extreme weather, year-round. And most importantly, natives are the only sustainable choice: they contribute to local foodwebs in countless, critical ways that non-native plants cannot.
But, which native shrubs give us the color, texture, and size we want, while giving birds, bees, and butterflies what they need?”
Read the entire article at https://ghertner.com/sustainability/sustainability-articles.
As part of Ghertner & Company’s commitment to sustainability in middle Tennessee and managed communities, our website has many other resources at Ghertner.com/sustainability.
