We consider a plant species “native” (or indigenous, endemic) to a certain area when we know that it has been growing there for a very long time - often for tens of thousands of years or more. Because of this, these plants are often well-adapted to their native range, and have come to support many other organisms (e.g. pollinators and birds!) that have come to rely on them in that time. This is in contrast to most of the ornamental garden plants, which were introduced to this continent in just the last hundred years. These support fewer species and typically require more particular care to thrive. Read more about the power and beauty of native plants.