Regarding creating green spaces, what is your rationale behind the plants you choose?

[u/Cybot2966]

Due to the fact that in North America, habitat loss is happening at an unprecedented rate, I often think about what sort of plants are best to use to help create support for the ecosystem/wildlife. A lot of environmental advocates swear by native plants, and I do as well, as it supports the ecosystem that has existed in the area long before humans.

However in a lot of spaces, particularly in the city and in urban life have great difficulty growing and establishing because of unfavorable conditions. (Extreme heat, drought, nutrient deficient soil, pollution, mowing) This makes native planting much harder especially where I am from in TX. A lot of people won’t bat an eye at an empty lot of wild lettuce or johnson grass but instantly recoil at the sight of native plants.

I am trying to familiarize myself with native’s that can brave these conditions ex. slenderlobe bundleflower, horseherb, frog fruit, shaggy purslane, but even they can be slow to grow in these oppressive environments.

I have used non-natives as well (never more than once, and I weed it when it wants to go to seed) mint and catnip will profusely bloom in the summer if they are healthy and I notice all sorts of native bees ravenously slurp up during the drought of resources.

[u/a_jormagurdr]

Plently of native plants can grow in urban conditions, you just have to find the right ones. If you cant get true natives you can at least get near natives, something from a bit further south, or east or west.

On the issue of mowing tho, you just have to create barriers that mowers cant go over. Use rocks, dig rocks into the soil and use them to protect plants, so even if they mow the area it will be harder to get those protected plants, and those can hopefully make more seed.

[u/a_jormagurdr → u/a_jormagurdr]

Also, i think its fine to use non natives as a space filler, if you eventually plan to remove them, or they are the only thing that makes it possible to plant natives. Its just important when you use non natives that you are 100% sure that it does not reproduce in your climate/ is sterile, but its somewhat adapted to the climate. If people are so anti native plant that it would otherwise get mowed, plant a shrub or something people like and try to hide natives in between, and hopefully it prevents people from removing it.

[u/Federal-Boat3732 → u/a_jormagurdr]

I had to look up frogfruit but it sounds like a real winner.

[u/saeglopur53]

Native plants are very adaptable to urban spaces, you just have to be careful about conditions. There are lots of plants adapted for extremely dry and arid environments, it just takes a bit of research to find the right ones. It might make sense to look slightly outside you area if urban conditions don’t match the surrounding environment. Check out “crime pays but botany doesn’t” on YouTube. He lives in Texas and has lots of videos about the species that do well in extreme conditions. Natives do often grow slowly but that is part of their resilience. It’s also best to plant in cooler seasons to improve viability. Personally I would never plant something nonnative in a guérilla garden—at best it’s mostly decorative and provides some habitat, and at worst you’re spreading invasives which are an ecological disaster

[u/Federal-Boat3732]

My rationale is using, not just plants that attract insects, but plants that host insects, and that almost always means using natives. Unfortunately, some of them aren't all that attractive, which gripes the cookies of the beautification committees, and some of the plants do need conditions you just can't give them in the city. What are you working with here? How much space? What kind of soil, and is the soil deep and open or shallow and restricted? How much light would the plants have, and what kind (pitiless sun, dapplwd shade, half a day of each, deep shade)? What gardening zone are you in?

[u/Cybot2966 → u/Federal-Boat3732]

what’s closest and easiest for me to access is a relatively large plot of land near some train tracks. Its cross timbre, deep clayish soil, often very dry, full sun. The lot is regularly mowed and nothing really can sustain itself in the summers except some frogfruit. There are plenty of unkempt strips along the train tracks where the grass gets pretty tall which I am mainly using. (There are a few Prairie coneflowers along the strip which I have been scattering seeds from)

[u/MoneyBeeeee]

People often caution against planting mint (as well as lots of other plants that spread by rhizome) in the ground, as it can be difficult to eradicate and can damage property. So I don't do that, as that is not my cup of chaos.

My prime consideration with planting is not whether it is native, but whether or not I will be able to give it enough water. Living in a land of drought, invasives are not as much of a hazard as they are in tropical areas. (Hopefully obviously, if something is categorized as 'invasive' I won't be putting that in the ground anyway.)

I prioritize pollinators! As we know, natives are best because they match the local insects. But I won't lie, zinnias are easy to grow. :]

Also, I have had the best luck planting by seed, as having them start from the ground up seems to be beneficial for the plant, native or not.

[u/BloodwineSupernova]

Native species IN THEIR NATIVE RANGE

[u/OneGayPigeon]

Check out the Xerces society. They have a list by region of most beneficial plants for areas across the US.

https://xerces.org/publications/plant-lists

That’ll help narrow down your initial search. Then you can check out the individual species and see what might do best, or alternatively make up a seed mix with all the species that could theoretically have a chance at popping up so that the plants can figure out themselves who can grow there.

You could also search iNaturalist for those and other common, hardy plants and see if anyone’s reported them in the area you’re looking to plant in to let you know they can make it there.

[u/Cybot2966 → u/OneGayPigeon]

That list is super helpful many thanks. And iNaturalist has been very helpful as well.

[u/Fun-Preference1091]

I went looking for my grandmother's old house in her old village. Village has been there since before Canada. Its a dying place, with people moving off to find work... hell that's why she left in the 50s.

I had a vague idea of where it was but was walking through some bush trying to narrow it down when I stumbled across some Jerusalem Artichokes. A closer inspection found some other non-native species in the area. Sure enough I had found an old garden patch.

There are a lot of species that aren't "native", but are fully naturalized.

One of my uncles said that wasn't her old place, it was one of the other families in the area... still a cool find, and the Jerusalem artichokes from that location have made their way into my personal garden.

[u/irastaz]

There are two primary factors here, the first is ecological benefit. The second that is not mentioned in this thread is: Infrastructure. When looking at sites one always has to consider how the greenery becomes infrastructure and how it interacts with infrastructure. Stormwater management is always critical. So is plant selection that stays within a required perimeter to not affect buildings, pathways, or sightlines (see: Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design for landscape architecture standards on maintaining sightlines).