Going Native in Florida
As a trying-to-reform black-thumb gardener in Florida, I’ve learned to appreciate the benefits and advantages of native plants. They’re the smartest way to go for anyone who loves greenery but hates the constant battle against bugs, drought, heat and the region’s other environmental challenges.
Which is why I was impressed to learn about Stetson University’s Native Plant Initiative.
I confess I’d never even heard about Stetson University when I came across a DeLand newspaper article about the Garden Club of DeLand’s Home and Garden Tour, which features a tour of Stetson University’s new Vera Lea Rinker Native Plant Garden. The acre-plus garden features more than 80 different types of trees native to Florida, as well as hundreds of native shrubs, flowers, ferns, grasses and palms.
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While the garden alone is a nice project, Stetson has gone much further to promote native plant life. Its Native Plant Initiative is unique, as far as I know: under the program, Stetson aims to allow only native flora on its 174-acre campus. Little by little, the school is getting rid of all its non-indigenous grasses, shrubs, flowers and trees and replacing them with real Floridian plant life.
“Florida has more endangered ecosystems than any other state,” the university’s Website states. “Exotic plants, both invasive and non-invasive, have negatively impacted more than 1.7 million acres of Florida. A campus landscape of native plant species reinforces our commitment to environmental responsibility by departing from the often-detrimental landscape practices occurring throughout our state. This departure implies that we, as a university, attribute an inherent worth to natural ecosystems and the biodiversity they contain. ”
Going native also means the university needs to use fewer pesticides and fertilizers, and can reduce its greenery-related water consumption … both of which are certainly welcome benefits to the environment (and probably the school’s bottom line as well).
For any other Florida gardeners interested in going the same route as Stetson, the university provides a wealth of links to helpful resources about native plants, natural resources and species conservation. With spring in the air and my backyard calling, I know I’ll be checking out those links more soon.
