Super Simple Guide to Selecting the Right Native Plants for Your Space
What we’ll cover:
How many plants will fit your space
What soil type you have
Your soil moisture
Your area’s sun exposure
Picking plants to diversify bloom times
Appropriate plant hight
How to select the correct amount of plants for your space:
Super simple rule of thumb: place one plant per square foot in your space
Some plants have a bushier form and may take up more space when mature. Check the ‘spacing’ requirement on plants to see if this is the case. It’s your call if you want to give the plant more space or let it compete with neighboring plants. Prairie plants are used to competition!
If you want a more lush, closer look you can place plants 6 inches apart.
A cost-effective, but slower method is to place plants further apart and allow the plants to seed and spread. Within a few years the plants will reproduce and naturally fill in the empty spaces (but you’ll have more competition from weeds in the meantime).
How to determine your soil type:
Do you need to do extensive soil testing to plant native plants? No! But understanding what type of soil you have - if it is clay, loam, or sand - will help you select plants that will thrive in your space.
In the area you wish to plant, dig out a handful of soil when it is moist but not wet.
Squeeze the soil together to make a clump, then unclench your hand.
Determining your soil type:
If the clump of soil stays in the clumped shape, gently poke it. If it breaks apart, it is likely loam soil.
If it stays in a clump it is likely clay soil.
If the soil never clumps it is likely sandy soil.
How to determine your soil moisture:
Determining soil moisture is very similar to determining soil type (see above).
If the clump sticks together, you likely have clay and wetter soil.
If the clump falls apart when poked, you likely have loam and medium moisture soil.
If the soil never clumps you likely have sand and drier soil.
Another consideration is how much water sits in the area you wish to plant. If you’re going to plant near a downspout or a low-laying area that pools water, you’ll want to select plants that can tolerate wet soil. If you are planting in an area with exceptionally high drainage like a retaining wall or hill, you’ll want to select plants that can tolerate drier soils.
How to determine your sun exposure:
Full sun means an area gets over 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. These spaces are often south-facing parts of a yard with few structures or trees to block the sun.
Part sun means 4-6 hours of direct sunlight each day. An example would be if the space receives direct morning or direct afternoon sun but not both.
Full shade means less than 4 hours of direct sunlight each day. Examples include the north side of a house or if a space is surrounded by tall trees that block most sun.
Picking plants for bloom diversity throughout the season:
Plants bloom at different times of the season. To ensure flowers bring color and pollinators to your garden all season long, select at least one variety that blooms in spring, one in mid-summer, and one in late summer/early autumn.
To really encourage a burst of colors, select three spring blooming varieties, three summer blooming varieties, and three fall blooming varieties.
Picking plant height:
Consider how tall you want the plants in your space. For example, you may not want tall plants near a driveway entry that reduces visibility. There may be height limitations if you live in an HOA. Alternatively tall plants are great along a fenceline to create a lush, layered look behind shorter plants.
Generally short plants tend to look tidier and more traditional, whereas tall plants tend to look a little more natural and wild. Both are beneficial to local wildlife.
Always remember that this is your yard and you can do what you want! It’s okay to ‘break’ the rules and experiment with where you put plants. Some may surprise you.