Ecological gardeners use the structure of the native plant community as the basis for structuring their gardens. The ground layer is where gardeners can create a tapestry of wildflowers, ferns, and grasses in beds and borders. Ecological gardeners know that structuring a garden like the native plant community also helps support birds and butterflies and other wildlife by offering them an array of spaces for feeding, breeding, resting, and nesting. All plant communities have a vertical structure based on the size and growth pattern of the dominant species. This pattern is called vertical stratification , or vertical layering.
Vertical structure is most obvious in a forest.
The tallest layer is called the canopy . It is composed of mature trees that cover the entire forest. The tallest canopy trees may be one hundred feet in height or more. The lowest canopy trees grow to about 30 feet. The canopy is interwoven, forming a fairly continuous ceiling over the entire forest.