Bee populations are in massive decline, as are many of our native pollinators around us, which means that now, more than ever, we need to start focusing on planting native plants in our garden. But there are so many amazing reasons to include these perennials in your garden and you’re going to love each one of them. It’s important to note that what is native in my area of Ontario may not be native where you live, so before you plant, always make sure to check your local plant listings to get the best plants for your garden.

They’re Reliable

Okay, here is my absolute FAVOURITE thing about perennials, and especially native perennials. They’re reliable. The weather is changing, and it’s not changing for the better. It’s getting hotter, drier, wetter, windier. You name it, it’s happening somewhere. And this means that it’s getting harder to time when to plant annuals such as vegetables or annual flowers. Unexpectedly cold springs, late frosts and the like are wreaking havoc on planting timelines. But native perennials are accustomed to our temperature fluctuations and are slowly changing to match our precipitation patterns.

Now, the truth is that they’re still susceptible to droughts, late frosts or extreme weather, but they are going to be more resilient than annuals are. And they’re going to provide the right food to our pollinators when they need it the most. When I feel like the garden is failing because of the wild weather, I just look out to my perennial garden and thank it for being reliable plants.

Pollinators Need Them

Native bees need native flowers, and native flowers need native bees. They evolved together over thousands of years which means that the best food for our native bees are native plants, and the best pollinators are our native bees. If you want your native perennials to produce high quality seeds and grow strong, healthy blooms, you need native pollinators. And the best way to invite them to your garden is by planting native perennials! Our native pollinator populations are collapsing, and fast. So one of the best things you can do to support them is to plant native perennials. This includes flowers, and even trees. Choosing a native tree species that flowers is an amazing way to support pollinators to help boost their populations, and with over 800 native bee species in Canada, you can start having fun meeting them all and learning about each species.

They’re Low Maintenance

With everything going on in your life, having a garden that is low maintenance allows you to enjoy the blooms without having to dedicate your entire life to them. Native perennials are accustomed to your climate which means they’re used to excess rain, droughts, winds, or temperature fluctuations. Whatever weather your area tends to get, they’re used to growing in. This means you don’t have to go out every day to water them, prune them or any other time consuming task. They’re going to bloom and do their thing without much effort from you. Doesn’t that sound great?

They’re Easy to Share

What’s fun about these plants is that they’re easy to share with others – that means if you don’t already have a garden, you can get them for free from others! If you’re just starting to grow your collection, ask your neighbourhood group if anyone can share some plants with you. Not only are many of them easy to divide, but often their seeds are super easy to save. Daisies grow extremely fast and can be divided regularly, while echinacea and rudbeckia seeds are simple to save. What’s not to love?

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They’re Drought Tolerant

Many natives are accustomed to the weather in the area that they are original to. This means that if you often experience droughts, they can handle these dry spells. You won’t need to water them as often and they’ll continue to do their thing. However, if it is very dry where you are, helping them through by watering is always beneficial. If it’s super dry, the plants will still grow and bloom, but they won’t bloom as prolifically. So if you notice that your blooms are lacking, you might not be able to fix it for the current season but know that offering some regular watering in the next year will help boost blooms.

Some favourite choices

Here are some of our favourite native perennials to include in the garden. Of course, these are native in Ontario, and can be native across much of Canada but it’s important that you check the list of native plants for your province, territory or state before planting!

Our favourites:

• Rudbeckia
• Echinacea
• Daisy
• Yarrow
• Liatris
• American Redbud
• Dogwood (not all varieties)
• Serviceberry
• Rasberries
• Black Raspberries