We Are Nature Nature’s Best Hope
Restore The Native Keystone Plants
& Join the Movement to Bring Nature Home.
Recommended reading: Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard
In “Nature’s Best Hope,” Douglas W. Tallamy argues that restoring and preserving biodiversity is essential for the health of our planet and the survival of humanity. He emphasizes the importance of creating biodiverse ecosystems in our own backyards and communities by planting native species and eliminating harmful practices like pesticide use.
Tallamy highlights the interconnectedness of all species and stresses the importance of creating habitats that support not only insects and birds but also larger animals like mammals and reptiles. He also emphasizes the crucial role that individual citizens can play in conserving and restoring biodiversity, calling for a grassroots movement to prioritize ecological health in our daily lives.
Overall, “Nature’s Best Hope” offers a compelling argument for the importance of biodiversity and provides practical solutions for how we can work together to restore and protect the natural world.
Discover Your Native Plants
To find your local native plants, use the Native Plant Finder tool from the National Wildlife Foundation. – Click Here for Native Plant Tool
Find which native plants are best suited for your area based on your zip code, soil type, sunlight exposure, and other criteria. Here’s how to use the tool:
- Go to the NWF Native Plant Finder website (https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/)
- Enter your zip code in the “Enter Your Location” field or allow the website to access your location automatically.
- Select the type of habitat you want to create from the list provided, such as “Butterfly Garden” or “Rain Garden”.
- Choose additional criteria such as soil type, sunlight exposure, and moisture level by clicking the checkboxes or selecting from the drop-down menus.
- Click on the “Search” button.
Using the Native Plant Finder tool can help you choose the best native plants for your area, which can provide food and habitat for local wildlife and improve the health of your ecosystem.
P.S. It only accepts US Postal codes. For Residents in the Gulf Islands, BC, Try the postal code for Orcas Island, 98280
Keystone Plants for Ecological Restoration
Keystone plants are plant species that have a significant impact on the overall structure and function of an ecosystem. These plants are considered essential because they support a large number of other species in the ecosystem, including other plants, animals, and microorganisms.
Keystone plants can influence the ecosystem in a variety of ways. For example, they may provide important food sources or habitats for pollinators, herbivores, or predators. They may also help to maintain soil health, prevent erosion, or regulate water flow.
The removal or decline of a keystone plant species can have significant consequences for the entire ecosystem. It may result in the loss of important ecosystem services or the decline of other species that rely on the keystone plant. In contrast, the restoration or preservation of keystone plant species can have positive impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Willows
Salix
Salicales
Native species in your area:
- dune willow (Salix hookeriana)
- Geyer willow (Salix geyeriana)
- MacKenzie’s willow (Salix prolixa)
- Pacific willow (Salix lucida subsp. lasiandra)
- Scouler’s willow (Salix scouleriana)
- Sitka willow (Salix sitchensis)
chokecherry, wild plum
Prunus
Rosales
Native species in your area:
- western chokecherry (Prunus virginiana var. demissa)
- Pacific Plum (Prunus subcordata)
- Bitter Cherry (Prunus emarginata):
- Sitka Cherry (Prunus emarginata var. mollis):
aspen, cottonwood, poplar
Populus
Salicales
Native species in your area:
- black cottonwood (Populus balsamifera subsp. trichocarpa)
- quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)
oak
Quercus
Fagales
Native species in your area:
- Garry Oak (Quercus garryana)
Huckleberry, blueberry
Vaccinium
Ericales
Native species in your area:
- bog blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum)
- California huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum)
- red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium)
- Cascade Bilberry (Vaccinium deliciosum)
- Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum):
goldenrod
Solidago
Asterales
Native species in your area:
- dwarf goldenrod (Solidago simplex var. nana)
- manyray goldenrod (Solidago multiradiata var. scopulorum)
- rough Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis var. salebrosa)
sagebrush, wormwood
Artemisia
Asterales
Native species in your area:
- big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata)
- coastal wormwood (Artemisia suksdorfii)
- field sagewort (Artemisia campestris)
- field sagewort (Artemisia campestris subsp. caudata)
- Tilesius’ wormwood (Artemisia tilesii)
- white sagebrush (Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. ludoviciana)
aster
Symphyotrichum
Asterales
Native species in your area:
- alpine leafybract aster (Symphyotrichum foliaceum var. foliaceum)
- Canby’s aster (Symphyotrichum foliaceum var. canbyi)
- Douglas aster (Symphyotrichum subspicatum var. subspicatum)
- Hall’s aster (Symphyotrichum hallii)
- Parry’s aster (Symphyotrichum foliaceum var. parryi)
filbert, hazel, hazelnut
Corylus
Fagales
Native species in your area:
- beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta)
- California hazelnut (Corylus cornuta var. californica)
dogwood, bunchberry
Cornus
Cornales
Native species in your area:
- Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii)
- redosier dogwood (Cornus sericea)
- redosier dogwood (Cornus sericea subsp. sericea)
- western cordilleran bunchberry (Cornus unalaschkensis)
- western dogwood (Cornus sericea subsp. occidentalis)
hawthorn
Crataegus
Rosales
Native species in your area:
- black hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii)
- Suksdorf’s hawthorn (Crataegus suksdorfii)
arrowwood, viburnum
Viburnum
Dipsacales
Native species in your area:
- American cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus var. americanum)
- squashberry (Viburnum edule)
elderberry
Sambucus
Dipsacales
Native species in your area:
- blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra subsp. cerulea)
- red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa)
- Rocky Mountain elder (Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa)
serviceberry, juneberry, shadbush
Amelanchier
Rosales
Native species in your area:
- Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)
- Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia var. alnifolia)
indian plum
Oemleria
Rosales
Native species in your area:
- Indian plum (Oemleria cerasiformis)
Huckleberry, blueberry
Vaccinium
Ericales
Native species in your area:
- bog blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum)
- California huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum)
- red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium)
- Cascade Bilberry (Vaccinium deliciosum)
- Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum):
Gooseberry, Currant
Ribes
Grossulariaceae
Native species in your area:
- Red Flowering Currant (Ribes Sanguineum)
- Coastal black gooseberry (Ribes divaricatum)
- Black Swamp Gooseberry (Ribes lacustre)
- Stink currant (Ribes bracteosum)
- Golden Currant (Ribes Aureum)
