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Hot take: I think we're overdoing the 'native plants only' rule for bird habitats
I was at the garden center in Springfield yesterday and heard a woman tell another customer, 'If it's not native, it's basically useless for birds,' which made me pause. My yard has some non-native butterfly bushes that are constantly covered in hummingbirds and finches from dawn until dusk. Has anyone else found certain non-native plants that actually support a lot of bird life?
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the_stella6mo ago
Wait, she actually said "basically useless"? That's wild. My neighbor has a huge patch of non-native sunflowers and the goldfinches go crazy for the seeds every fall. The native-only rule feels like it ignores what birds actually do in real yards.
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mary3096mo ago
Saw a study that tracked bird feeders in backyards for a whole year. Turns out the birds didn't care about plant passports at all. They were just as happy on the non-native sunflowers and berry bushes as the local stuff. Makes you wonder if the rules are more about making gardeners feel good than what actually helps wildlife.
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cooper.nathan5mo ago
That study tracked over 500 yards. The birds visited feeders with non-native plants just as often, sometimes more. My local Audubon chapter pushes native-only gardens hard, but the cardinals in my yard don't read their pamphlets. They're all over the non-native holly berries right now.
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