Restoration Along Stream – Plant Recommendations

Q: I am Stormwater Coordinator for the city of Doraville. We are planning interlace restoration along a stream in Bernard Halpern Park. Your “Shrubs for Damp Soil” web page says that we should only use plants native to the region. Why? 

A: Georgia’s beaches, rivers, creeks, and lakes are critical for preserving biodiversity. Native plants, as opposed to non-native plants, support pollination, nectar gathering, seed dispersal , feeding, and many other activities that are vital to local fauna. Non-native plants *might* supply some of these things but it is not guaranteed. Non-native plants might be so vigorous that they overrun the natives. Restoring a patch of native plant habitat, like you’re doing, means that it becomes part of a larger living landscape for local birds and other animals. I have a good list of native plants that tolerate damp soil at bit.ly/GAnatdamp.