Walk Among the Natives--Plants, That Is
By Cindy Bellinger

Here's an assignment for you. Take a walk along a foot path, a road, across a meadow. Because of the snow last winter, the wild flowers are putting on quite a display.

Another part of your assignment: Remember that many are native plants.

Native Plant Day
Coming up this Sunday, September 23, is New Mexico Native Plant Day. In a proclamation from Governor Bill Richardson it says the native plants in our state are among the highest numbers in the U.S. We even have more orchids than Hawaii. The day is set aside to celebrate our state's diverse ecosystems and environment. 

New Mexico has five distinct regions with different climates and geologic histories--the Northern Chihuahuan Desert, Southern Rocky Mountains, Western Great Plains, Colorado Plateau, and Northern Sierra Madre floristic regions.

A common mistake is to identify naturalized alien plants as native species because they are just that--common, and reproduce within natural habitats.

The Importance of Native Plants
All of our native plants evolved here. They were subjected to long periods of natural selection--the harsh winds, the heavy snows, the searing sun. And they have adapted perfectly to the climate and habitats throughout New Mexico.

Native plants are in balance with the ecosystem and because of this, they provide cover and food for native animals. They've also developed an array of relationships with soil fungi and other local microorganisms.

The Native Plant Society of New Mexico
This organization promotes the conservation of our native flora, plant habitats and encourages the appropriate use of native plants in our state. It supports research and educational activities in schools and universities.

Some Common Native Plants
For a comprehensive list of New Mexico's Native Plants go to http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rdsduse/nm.htm. Below is a sample of our state's native plants, many of which we sell. If you want an all native landscape, ask our sales staff to get your started.

• Opuntia macrorhiza (common prickly pear)
• Helianthus annuus (common sunflower)
• Agave neomexicana (century plant, New Mexico agave)
• Callirhoe involucrata (purple poppy mallow, winecup)
• Castilleja integra (Indian paintbrush)
• Coreopsis lanceolata (lance-leaved coreopsis)
• Linum lewisii (wild blue flax)
• Solidago canadensis (meadow goldenrod)
• Sphaeralcea parvifolia (globe mallow)
• Yucca baccata (blue yucca, banana yucca, fleshy-fruited yucca)
• Zinnia grandiflora (Rocky Mountain zinnia, yellow zinnia, plains zinnia)
• Quercus gambelii (Gambel's oak, Rocky Mountain white oak)
• Pinus cembroides (Mexican pinyon)
• Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine)
• Clematis ligusticifolia (clematis)

The Test
Of course following your assignment of walking alongside a road, you will be given a test. But if you have any of these plants in your garden, just raise your hand. You automatically pass go and arrive with flying colors.