🦋 Why Grow Native Plants?
Many groups have answered this question far better than I could:
Recommended Video: Doug Tallamy explains the importance of natives.
Watch on YouTube
📱 Plant Identification Apps for Your Phone
Picture This
Take a picture of any plant and get the name, plus lots of other information. Scroll down to map to see if it is native to eastern US.
$30/yearSeek
Get plant (or bug) in focus to light up 7 dots. When all are lit you have identified your subject. Click photo to learn more about that plant. The "kid" version of iNaturalist.
FreeiNaturalist
Several steps for ID, but used worldwide for scientific study.
FreeGoogle Lens
Part of the Google suite: take a picture and identify anything — plants, animals, furniture, etc.
Free🤝 Organizations That Promote Native Plants
Maryland Native Plant Society
https://mdflora.orgFriends of Native Trees in Takoma (FONTT)
https://fontt.org/🍂 Why You Should Leave the Leaves
Leaving leaf litter over winter protects beneficial insects, adds organic matter to your soil, and requires less work in spring. Here are some references:
🍁 What Native Plants Are Good for Your Yard?
Maryland Native Plant Society — Appreciation, Conservation, Education