Native plants established within urban areas provide critical support to native pollinators – especially specialist pollinators – and value for creating habits for birds and small mammals. Many native plants from western US regions are also drought tolerant and allow for water conservation in landscapes. Increasing understanding of these concepts is creating an unprecedented demand for native plant products. Unfortunately, availability of such products is limited. More commonly available in the standard nursery trade are nativars – cultivars derived from native plants.

This presentation by Dr. Stephen Love, amateur botanist and retired extension horticulturist for the University of Idaho, will explore the validity of using native plants vs. nativars for urban habitat development.

Several questions will be discussed, including: What is a native plant? What is a nativar? Are nativars inferior to native plants for habitat development? Are nativars capable of supporting pollinators, including native specialist pollinators? Is genetic variability – critical in restoration of wildlands – essential in urban habitats? Should we support local government policies that define and regulate urban native plant utilization? How do local regulations impact native plant product availability? How does all of this affect me, a native plant consumer? Hopefully, this discussion will allow all of us to better navigate the consumer native plant scene.

Presented in partnership with the Sawtooth Botanical Garden and the Wood River Chapter of the Idaho Native Plant Society.