What are the benefits of Native Plants?
Native plants are resilient, support pollinators and other wildlife, conserve water, improve soil health, don’t require fertilizer, and enhance air quality. They are more resistant to pests and diseases, are adapted to the local climate and contribute to overall ecosystem resilience.
1. Choose your plants.
Here is a list of some of the best native plants in the Edmonton Area, organised depending on yard conditions and which pollinators you most want to help. You can also visit local nurseries or seed suppliers to determine what native plants are suited for your area, remembering that different plants are native to different regions and areas even within the same province. If you want to try starting native plants from seed, check-out a local workshop, like the ones put on by the Touch Grass Club.
2. Start small.
Start with one flower bed of native flowers to make sure you have the time to look after it. It may need frequent weeding for the first year until it gets established. Once it is established, though, maintenance doesn’t take much time.
3. Remove lawn grass and weeds.
Take out all the lawn grass and any perennial weeds in the planned bed before planting—native wildflowers can’t compete with turf. While it may be tempting to leave the turf and just plant into or around it, lawn grasses are aggressive and will prevent the flowers from growing well. Try native bunch grasses or sedges if you prefer a mix of flowers and grasses.
Watch out for perennial weeds creeping back, especially lawn grass or quack grass, which is the hardest to control. Lawn edging around your flowerbed and a no-grow border of wood chips or a similar material will help to stop the turf grass creeping in from the adjacent lawn.
4. Expand
In future years, keep expanding your native plant paradise!
Where Can I Buy Native Seeds and Plants?
Alberta Native Plant Council has created an interactive map that shows many native seed and plant suppliers in Alberta: Native Plant Suppliers Interactive Map – Alberta Native Plant Council
Where can I find further guidance and resources on planting a Native Garden?
- Alberta Native Plant Council – An Alberta Society whose mission is to share knowledge and support the conservation of native plants and native plant habitat in Alberta through outreach, publications and guidelines, stewardship, advocacy, research, and funding and implementing native plant projects – Alberta Native Plant Council. Take the Alberta Native Plant Council’s Native Plant Garden challenge and receive access to a tonne of resources and a community network to help your native plant garden thrive: Challenge-Toolkit-2023.pdf and 2024 Native Plant Garden Challenge – Alberta Native Plant Council.
- Edmonton Native Plant Society – A local organisation that strives to be the “ultimate destination for all things related to Edmonton and area native plants!” – HOME | ENPS
- Check out the resources provided by Nature Alberta, such as the Support Urban Nature resources: https://naturealberta.ca/support-urban-nature/ and Habitat Stewardship resources: https://naturealberta.ca/habitat-stewardship/.
- Touch Grass Club – An Edmonton-based community-focused climate action group that runs native plant workshops – Touch Grass Club (@touchgrassclub) • Instagram photos and videos.
What should I plant to best help pollinators?
- There are many ways you can help native bees! The best possible way to help native bees is to provide habitat for them. Plant native plants and flowers in your yard, and keep your yard wild and unmanicured to provide necessary habitat for pollinators (e.g. leaving soil, leaves, bark and other natural elements undistributed).
- Learn which wildflowers are best for pollinators here: https://www.albertanativebeecouncil.ca/s/Alberta-Native-Bee-Council_-Recommended-Native-Flowering-Plant-List-for-Pollinators.xlsx
- Learn which native plants are best for pollinators here: https://www.albertanativebeecouncil.ca/s/Alberta-Native-Bee-Council_-Recommended-Native-Flowering-Plant-List-for-Pollinators.xlsx
- For more information about pollinators in Alberta, visit the Alberta Native Bee Council, whose mission is to promote conservation of native pollinator communities through research and monitoring, advocacy, education, and collaboration with others – Alberta Native Bee Council
More resources
