On a recent trip to the Outer Banks, I was delighted to spot one of my favorite North Carolina native perennials growing wild on the sandy shoreline of Pamlico Sound.  Spotted Horsemint (Monarda punctata) with its whorls of purple leaf bracts and small, spotted yellow flowers was abuzz with a variety of bumblebees laden with pollen. Bumblebees are important pollinators of flowering plants, becoming dusted with pollen as they move from plant to plant loading their “pollen baskets” or corbicula on their hind legs. Fall blooming perennials like Spotted Horsemint provide late season nectar and pollen that are essential for the reproductive survival of a diverse array of bees and other insects.  

In our urban neighborhoods, it would be a surprise to find this plant growing on its own.  The trend has long been to replace natural areas by managed landscapes. These managed landscapes are dominated by non-native ornamental plants and turf, providing little habitat or food sources for insects or wildlife. In addition, our traditional urban yards require more inputs of water, fertilizer, and pesticides. Plants like Spotted Horsemint are native to coastal North Carolina and have evolved over thousands of years to be able to thrive in our hot, humid climate. This plant and other natives are well adapted to the sunlight, temperatures, salt spray, humidity, and soils of our coastal region and will not require excess irrigation and fertilizers. This reduced need for excess fertilizer along with the deep roots of native plants help to protect local water quality by reducing nutrient runoff and helping stormwater to soak back into the ground.

It’s time for a new philosophy for our urban yards. We should no longer landscape purely for aesthetics, but for ability of that landscape to be functional. We must ask, how does my urban yard contribute to the overall health of our ecosystem and water quality? Many people worry that native landscapes tend to look messy or unkempt, but with proper planning and plant selection we can create aesthetically pleasing landscapes that function to support insects and wildlife and protect our natural resources.

To learn more about native plants and how you can incorporate them into your landscapes, join us for the 8th annual Cape Fear Native Plant Festival on Sept. 17 at the New Hanover County Arboretum. The mission of the Native Plant Festival is to educate the public on the benefits and importance of native plants for our local ecosystems, and to promote and support native plant growers to increase demand and supply of native plants in our region.  The on-site festival features 18 educational exhibitors with hands on activities as well as a line up of fantastic speakers. Our keynote speaker, Madalyn Baldwin from NC State's Coastal Dynamics Design Lab will speak at 1 p.m. Her presentation entitled, “Coastal Landscaping Design” will walk through the garden design process and provide guidance on how to “read” your yard, selecting native plants that will thrive, taking design cues from natural landscapes, and caring for native plants. Educational talks will take place in the Arboretum’s Education Center starting at 11 a.m. and will run on the hour.  

After visiting the Arboretum to learn about native plants, you can head out into the community to one of our five native plant sale locations: Shelton Herb Farm, The Garden Shop by Wild Magnolia Designs, Blooms and Branches, Wild Bird and Garden, and Carolina Girl Nursery.  Two of these sites will host multiple vendors.  For a full list of plant vendor locations, speakers and festival info, visit  https://arboretum.nhcgov.com/native-plant-festival/.

Amy Mead is the natural resources extension agent for Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties. She can be reached at afmead@ncsu.edu. The N.C. Cooperative Extension – New Hanover County Center and Arboretum is located at 6206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington. The gardens are free and open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.