By: Marlene Rodak | President, Coccoloba Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society
Here is a question to ponder: according to Zoe Schlanger in her book, “The Light Eaters”, “If weighed, plants would amount to 80% of the Earth’s living matter.” Is that shocking?
These incredible plants turn the sun’s rays into energy to create beautiful green foliage. Underground, they are feeding and nurturing microbes and fungal networks that help protect the plants and even share nutrients between plants. Then, along comes a butterfly that lays eggs on the leaves. Soon, those eggs hatch out and begin voraciously eating the plant.
Assuming a homeowner or nursery doesn’t spray a pesticide to kill them, these caterpillars eat and grow and grow and grow. A few of them may be killed by wasps, others may be snatched away by a bird who will feed it to their baby. Once sufficiently plumped, the surviving caterpillars will wander off to morph into a chrysalis, later emerging as a full-grown butterfly. Assuming there is suitable nectar, the butterfly will use those flowers to get the energy to mate and lay more eggs. It is a wonderful little ecosystem.
To build this beautiful butterfly world, we need suitable nectar and host plants. No plants = no butterflies.
Birds, bunnies, and all the other wonderful Florida creatures have their own survival needs too.
The Earth has evolved. Creatures and plants have evolved, too. This is a slow process. That means our native plants are best suited for native creatures. Those creatures include those migrating long distances planning to stop here to refuel.
It is ridiculously hard, if not impossible, to improve on Mother Nature.
Somehow, over time, we have declared war on our food chain. Somehow, we believe that nothing should feast on our plants. Somehow, we no longer want anything to eat and enjoy, what by weight, amounts to 80% of the Earth’s living matter. Somehow, we evolved to kill those insects that grow large and plump enough to provide food for larger insects or birds or animals.
In addition to spraying pesticides on plants, exotic plants that are not recognized by pollinators are replacing the natives that once grew here. This is so pervasive that most people think that these exotic plants are native “because they are everywhere.”
It is easy to take the planet for granted. That’s what we do. Mother Nature is silent and forgiving. She forgives those sterile, lifeless patches of her Earth.
As human participants on this marble called Earth, we need nature—oftentimes we don’t even realize how much. We are so engorged in our day-to-day lives that we’ve forgotten how to stop and reconnect with nature and the planet.
The Coccoloba Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society has been restoring and rebuilding River Oaks Preserve, owned by the Village of Estero. As the pollinator-devoid invasive plants were removed and replaced with natives, the land transformed into an oasis. Visitors stop, look around, breathe in the energy of nature and relax under the massive old oak trees lined with resurrection ferns and air plants. Butterflies and birds are happily feeding and nesting. Gopher tortoises are burrowed down waiting for the sun to warm their bodies.
These natural spaces are proven to lower stress, enhance immunity, decrease allergies, improve cognitive development, reduce symptoms of ADHD, and so much more. Basically, they restore us. We feel better in nature.
Now, we can continue spraying pesticides and planting a plethora of exotic plants at home, or we can simply stop. We can start adding native plants to our yards and communities that add value to our life-sustaining planet.
Florida is full of amazing native plants. They will save you money by not needing fertilizer or supplemental irrigation once they are established. There are gorgeous plants that perform well, support wildlife and smell terrific that are available to you. You just need to know where to find them.
It is so much easier to work with Earth than against it.
Visit FNPSCoccoloba.org for more information on how to learn about and purchase native plants. River Oaks Preserve is located at 9541 Broadway Avenue E in Estero and is open on Sundays and Tuesdays from 9 am–1 pm.
