MILLS RIVER, N.C. (WLOS) — Spring is here in the mountains, and you might be looking to add some colorful plants to your home garden.
But there are some things to think about when looking for new plants. Like, how big will it get? How much light will it need? And when is the best time to water it? But do you ever think about whether it’s native to our local climate? Well, that last bit could be more important than you realize.
ANIMAL HAVEN OF ASHEVILLE GIVES FARM ANIMALS A SECOND CHANCE
Greta Dietrich owns Woodswise Botanicals in Mills River. They specialize in bioregional native plants.
“The plants that have grown here, they’ve been growing here for thousands of years, and a lot of species of pollinators have evolved with them,” Dietrich said.
Pollinators are crucial to the health of our ecosystem.
APRIL 10, 2026 – Spring is here in the mountains, and you might be looking to add some colorful plants to your home garden. (Photo: WLOS Staff
“To plant native, you’re offering places for the pollinators to come and feed and grow their young,” Dietrich said. Adding, “You’re becoming a habitat creator.”
Dietrich tells us that while non-native plants can offer pollen to pollinators, they don’t have the same evolutionary benefits that native plants have developed over many thousands of years. And sometimes, non-native plants can become invasive.
“A lot of the issues we’re running into with non-native species are the invasive species,” Dietrich said.
CLASSIC CARS ROLL INTO DOWNTOWN TO LIFT SPIRITS OVER A YEAR AFTER HELENE
Invasive species are non-native species that come into an environment and start to take over resources that are vital to the native species.
“They like the same thing, and they’re very aggressive, and they kind of dominate a whole space,” Dietrich said.
Some examples Dietrich gives of invasive species are English Ground Ivy, Kudzu, and Bradford Pear trees.
APRIL 10, 2026 -{ }Spring is here in the mountains, and you might be looking to add some colorful plants to your home garden. (Photo: WLOS Staff
“They grow really fast; they break really easily,” Dietrich said when asked about Bradford Pear trees.
And yet, people still choose to plant them all over western North Carolina.
“Landscapers do it cause they grow really quickly, and they look lush and fertile, but they take over,” Dietrich said.
GIVE TO THE MUSIC: HOW COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ARE INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION
So, the next time you’re shopping for a new addition to the yard or garden, perhaps consider planting native.
“You start creating native habitats, and you’re going to start slowly changing the ecology of your property,” Dietrich said. “The birds that are gonna start coming, and the different pollinators that are attracted to different plants at different times. It becomes pure magic.”
Comments are closed.