CFE agenda 060815 - Laserfiche WebLink

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This is the second in a series of articles by the Orange County Commission for the Environment (CFE). Each article highlights an environmental issue of interest to the residents of Orange County. The CFE is a volunteer advisory board to the Board of County Commissioners. Additional information can be found in the Orange County State of the Environment 2014 report athLtp://www.orangecounlync.gov/departments/deqpr/commission _ for the _environmenf. h * * * * * * * * * ** The native butterfly weed attracts bees, butterflies and birds (Photo: Orange County DEAPR) DRAFT Why Native Plants? Orange County Commission for the Environment For most people, plants in our landscapes serve one purpose: beauty. But in reality, plants are critically important for food webs and life cycles. Author Doug Tallamy explains, "almost all North American birds other than seabirds — 96% — feed their young with insects." These insects require host plants on which to lay their eggs, plants with which they have evolved over millennia. When we trade native plants (those species that have evolved with surrounding plants and animals, each influencing the evolution of the other) for species from other places, we hinder the ability of these insects to reproduce. A clear example can be seen in a comparison of the flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), which is native to Orange County, and the kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa), which is native to Korea, China, and Japan. The flowering dogwood supports 117 species of moth and butterfly larvae; the kousa dogwood supports zero. Some argue that they frequently observe insects on their non - native plants. For instance, butterflies can often be seen drinking nectar from the flowers of the non - native butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), leading people to assume they have chosen a helpful species for their yard. But no native species of butterfly will use the butterfly bush as a host plant on which to lay its eggs.