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GARDEN CLIPPINGS: Successes and disappointments with native plants

The last decade or two has seen a surge in realizing the value of native plants.

The last decade or two has seen a surge in realizing the value of native plants.

In the rear half of my own sizable backyard, five years ago I planted 24 native trees and three years ago planted 21 more.

GARDEN CLIPPINGS: Successes and disappointments with native plants Back to video

The setting is a grassland meadow, home to milkweed, grasses and a mix of native and non-native wildflowers.

By many counts, my mini forest is beginning to show success. The two river birch (Betula nigra) have quadrupled in size. Two white pine (pinus strobus) are equally impressive.

The pair of hackberry (celtis occidentalis) are so robust that I chose to add two more. One of the five oaks (quercus palustris) is growing a mile a minute. Two red maples........

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