Native plants are easy to grow and good for your garden

Anyone who has tried to pluck a berry from a prickly Himalayan blackberry bush or been driven to sneezing by yellow tufts of Scotch Broom alongside the freeway has suffered the effects of a non-native, invasive plant.

These fast-growing intruders displace indigenous species and can be a real pain to remove, but green thumbs can reclaim their terrain by filling their gardens with native plants.

Kimberly Leeper, owner of Mariposa Naturescapes, a landscaping company and appointment-only nursery specializing in native and edible plants, defines native plants as "species that were here before 1850, when European settlement started."

According to Leeper, not only are indigenous plants easy to care for because they are acclimated to the region, they preserve the habitat for the animals, insects and fungi that are essential to the ecosystem. Below are three local nurseries that sell plants native to our region.

Village Green Perennial Nursery
Tucked behind a house on an unassuming street in White Center, the Village Green nursery is a hidden gem. Owner Vera Johnson sells hardy Northwest native perennials such as red flowering currant, Trillium ovatum and Columbian lily, as well as antique roses that are grown from cuttings and allowed to establish their own roots for two years before being sold. Prices range from $3.95 to $49.

MsK Rare Plant Nursery
Located in the 50-year old Kruckeberg Botanic Garden in Shoreline, this open-air nursery founded by horticulturist and botanist Mareen and Art Kruckeberg is a wonderland of native plants thriving in their natural habitat. Most of the starts are from plants that were cultivated by the owners from cuttings or seeds. On my visit, I picked up a small Licorice fern, Evergreen Huckleberry and False Solomon Seal. Prices range from $5 to $16.

Swansons Nursery
Popular among local gardeners since 1924, for the last decade Swansons has offered a selection of native Northwest plants. Ground covers such as Kinnikinnick (also known as bearberry), salal and various strawberry species start at $3.99, while other perennial shrubs like Oregon Grape start at $7.99. Most staff members are knowledgeable about native plants, but if you have questions about the availability of specific plants, ask for perennial buyer Alex LaVilla or shrub buyer Gabriel Maki.

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