Native Plants

Native plants have evolved in local soils and climate conditions over thousands of years. During that time, they developed inseparable relationships with pollinators, insects, birds, and other wildlife, forming the foundation of healthy ecosystems. Because of these crucial connections, native plants are uniquely suited to support local biodiversity and thrive in our communities.

Why Native Plants Matter

Support wildlife
Native plants provide essential food and habitat for insects, birds, and other wildlife that depend on them to survive. Many native insects can only eat specific native plant species. When non-native plants replace these species, those insects disappear, and the entire food web is weakened as a result. By choosing native plants, you support the pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects that keep ecosystems healthy and thriving.

Require Fewer Inputs
Because they are adapted to local soils and climate, native plants typically require less water and no fertilizer or pesticides once established. They can also be lower maintenance — but only when planted in the appropriate conditions and grouped in dense, diverse plantings similar to those found in nature. Over time, these communities of plants support one another, crowd out weeds, and create more resilient landscapes that need less ongoing work.

Sense of Place
Our native plants reflect the natural character of our region. Their forms, textures, and seasonal rhythms are shaped by local climate and geography, giving landscapes a look and feel uniquely tied to this place. When native plants fill gardens and public spaces, they connect us more deeply to where we live and create landscapes that feel authentic, not generic.

Native Plants at Brightside

At The Brightside Demonstration Garden, we’ve chosen native plant species for their ability to thrive in urban settings, stay well-behaved, and offer lasting beauty. Plants are arranged in communities based on natural Missouri habitats and are combined into dense and diverse groups that reflect how they grow in nature.

Our hope is that you’ll see how these plant communities can work in your own landscape — whether it’s sunny and dry like a glade, or shady and moist like a woodland. We invite you to explore the garden in person and use the resources on this website to learn how to select and arrange native plants for landscapes that are both beautiful and functional.

See Native Plants at the Demo Garden

Create Your Own Sustainable Landscape

Want to start using Native Plants in your landscape? Use the pages below to help identify your site conditions, choose the best plants, and create a beautiful, sustainable garden.

Resources

To find ‘naturally resilient plants for naturally beautiful landscapes’ check out Grow Native!
Missouri Botanical Garden’s plant finder is a great resource to find Missouri native plants that meet your needs.
Learn about the St. Louis Audubon Society’s urban habitat restoration program, Bring Conservation Home.
Browse through Shaw Nature Reserves Native Landscaping Manual to guide you through various native landscapes.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is a great resource — learn about trees, shrubs and vines and wildflowers and grasses.

Native Wildflower Resources

University of Missouri Extension offers advice for planting Wildflowers in the Home Landscape.
The national Wild Ones organization and the St. Louis Wild Ones Chapter provide valuable information about growing native wildflowers.

Resources for Missouri Trees

Forest ReLeaf of Missouri provides free trees to communities for public space plantings and to schools and nonprofit organizations to improve their grounds and neighborhood gardens. All of the native trees in Brightside’s Demo Garden were provided by Forest ReLeaf.
Download the U.S. Forest Service’s Tree Owners Manual for the Northeastern and Midwestern United States.
i-Tree Design and National Tree Benefit Calculator allow anyone to make a simple estimation of the benefits provided by individual trees.
Learn about all of the wonderful benefits trees provide through the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Trees Work campaign and how to care for them using their Backyard Tree Care guides.

Butterfly Garden Resources

Learn more about butterfly gardening through Missouri Department of Conservation’s Butterfly Gardening and Conservation Guide
Nectar sources for butterflies are declining due to development and herbicide use. Learn about how you can get involved in St. Louis’ Milkweeds for Monarchs Initiative and what you can do to help save the Monarch butterflies through Monarch Watch and The Monarch Joint Venture. You can even help monitor Monarch larva.
Find a variety of butterfly resources from the North American Butterfly Association.
Learn about invertebrate protection and conservation programs led by The Xerces Society.
Follow and participate in wildlife migration sightings through Journey North.

Best Practices