Providing food and shelter for wildlife is only one of the many benefits to be realized through planting native species in natural settings. Economic benefits may be a factor as corporations and government agencies rethink their land management strategies. After an initial establishment period, irrigation is unnecessary, and mowing is reduced to once or twice a year at the most. Sited correctly, native plant species are uniquely adapted to local growing conditions. Many woodland plants, for example, go dormant during the hot, dry summer months.
Prairie plants develop root systems that far exceed the reach of their top growth.
During a drought, their roots allow them to access moisture far below the surface. Nor are fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, or pesticides required for native plantings. In fact, prairie plants prefer lean soil. Use of fertilizers can cause leggy growth and weak stems. Native plants further reduce the use of pesticides by attracting beneficial insects and wildlife that consume undesirable insects such as mosquitoes.