The Importance of Using Native Plants Along Your Shoreline
Having a shoreline buffer – a strip of trees, shrubs, grasses and perennials on your property along your shoreline – provides many benefits. Shoreline buffers help protect against erosion, filter runoff, absorb nutrients, reduce the risks of flooding, protect property values and provide important food and habitat for wildlife.
When creating your shoreline buffer and choosing plants for your garden, it’s important to remember that not all plants are created equal; some can even be harmful to the wildlife we are trying to help!
Choosing native plants helps take away the guess work. Native plants have co-evolved with, and are therefore adapted to, the local environment and wildlife. Pollinators, including bees, flies and butterflies, benefit from their nectar-rich flowers and birds and mammals benefit from their nuts, seeds and fruit. On the other hand, many domestic flowers have been bred for showiness and some have lost much of their nectar and pollen producing capacity. Some have even been cultivated in such a way that insects have difficulty reaching the nectar in the tightly bunched flowers.
When considering plants for your shoreline, remember that invasive plants are definitely a no-no! Invasive plants are not native to an area and with no competitors or predators they aggressively spread, displacing our native species and degrading habitat.
It’s also important to choose plants that are free of neonicotinoids, or neonics for short. Neonics are a group of insecticides that are known to be toxic to the insects that feed on the treated flowers. Studies have shown that even low doses of neonics can cause pollinators harm. They can affect their ability to navigate, collect food, even reproduce.
As an added bonus, native plants typically require less maintenance and are less susceptible to disease and pests. They can have beautiful colourful blooms in spring and summer, berries in the fall and stunning fall foliage. Before you buy, check with your plant provider to make sure your plants are native and neonic-free. Your local wildlife will thank you!
For more information on how you can show your lake some love, visit LoveYourLake.ca. Love Your Lake is a shoreline naturalization program developed by the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Watersheds Canada.
Written by Terri-Lee Reid,
Freshwater Researcher with the Canadian Wildlife Federation
Photo credit: Sarah Coulber, CWF
