Gardening in Delaware: Native Gardening

Native plants are indigenous to a particular region and provide an essential foundation to support wildlife habitats for native insects and birds. Native Plants for Native Landscapes

Native plants help the environment the most when planted in places that match their growing requirements. They will thrive in the soils, moisture and weather of your region. That means less supplemental watering, which can be wasteful, and pest problems that require toxic chemicals. Native plants also assist in managing rain water runoff and maintain healthy soil as their root systems are deep and keep soil from being compacted. The National Wildlife Federation

Brandywine Creek State Park Pollinator Garden

The state of Delaware consists of two major land regions: The Appalachian Piedmont and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Native plants selection will vary depending on the region of your garden.

Executive Order 13112 defines an invasive species as “an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.” The National Invasive Species Management Plan (NISMP) further defines an invasive species as “a species that is non-native to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.”

[Invasive Species Definition Clarification and Guidance White Paper, Submitted by the Definitions Subcommittee of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC), approved by ISAC April 27, 2006 ]