The native species are those that originated in the region where they are found, instead of being moved and introduced by humans. There are cosmopolitan species and others from smaller areas, but each natural environment has its characteristic set of flora and fauna.
Throughout years of evolution at par, native plants develop very close relationships with the fauna that accompanies them. These interactions are what make up the balance of a healthy ecosystem, where each species plays a role. Let us think, for example, of the example of pollination: animals such as bats or insects feed on the nectar of flowers, and, in doing so, transfer pollen from one to another, thus fulfilling a key step in the reproductive cycle of plants and enabling its spread.
With all this said, why should you have to plant native flora species at home?
Passionflower
You contribute to the conservation of native biodiversity
Today, The main cause of species extinction is habitat loss. product of the advance of urbanization and the agricultural frontier. What better, then, than turning our balcony or our garden into the habitat of some native plant?
It is important to keep in mind that there are species that are only present in certain geographical areas. They are endemic calls, such as tobacco (Polylepis australis), a tree from the mountains of Córdoba, Argentina, or the salabresa gatina (Genista sanabrensis), which only grows in Spain. If they were to disappear from their small range, then they would be completely extinct.
They are part of the resources of the native fauna
As we said before, Biodiversity is in a permanent balance. Each ecosystem has different relationships that help maintain it, such as symbiotic relationships, where two species mutually benefit. When one of the two parties is not present, the balance of the ecosystem is broken and one or more species may disappear.
Plants not only serve as food for the animals with which they share the habitat, but also They provide them with shelter, and they need them to disperse and reproduce. An example is the guaranítica sage, native to South America and very common in Buenos Aires: those who have it on their balcony will witness the large number of hummingbirds that visit it, fluttering from flower to flower in search of nectar.
By planting species of native flora, then, we are also helping the fauna of our region.
THEY ARE HOST OF BUTTERFLIES AND OTHER INSECTS
You probably know something about butterfly life cycle, that start as caterpillars and end up forming a cocoon, from where they will later emerge as adults, but did you know that some species only carry out this cycle on certain plants?
The caterpillars of the mirror butterfly, for example, only feed on plants of the genus Passiflora, better known as Mburucuyá or passionflowers. On its leaves, the butterfly spawns and the caterpillars are born, feed, and form their chrysalis, where they will become butterflies.
For this reason, the presence of native plants in urban areas is very important, where insects such as butterflies are less likely to find places to reproduce.
They require less care than exotic plants
Have you ever wondered why that exotic plant you bought for your living room didn’t last long? Did you spend hours researching how to take care of it, looking for the place with the right lighting or the right amount of water? That is because they belong to another region, and they need the conditions that that place would provide them.
As we already said, native plants evolved where they are naturally distributed, so they are adapted to that climate and soil. Therefore, although some native species may have special requirements, they will need less specific care than an exotic species.