Native or indigenous plants, especially those that provide nectar and larval food for pollinators, form the basis of a complex food web that connects native species within a specific ecosystem. Pollinators include bees, birds, bats, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, wasps, and even small mammals.

Native plants promote biodiversity, require less water and maintenance, and can thrive without pesticides or fertilizer because they evolved in a specific habitat to grow naturally. 

While current garden trends favor native plants, we are at a critical point of losing many pollinators due to loss of habitat, land fragmentation, pesticide use, invasive plant and animal species, and diseases and parasites. The Empire Native Pollinator Survey released in August 2022 found that 38% to 60% of the pollinators targeted by the survey are at risk -- including 24% of the bees. 

Learn more about native plants.

GPGNYC believes that even in a small urban garden, incorporating native plants into the landscape can make a difference in the lives of pollinators and our community.