Native Plants are so, so Important
I’ve been getting into growing Maryland native plants on my forested homestead more and more, largely because of the Native Plants feed on Bluesky. So, I’ve been acquiring native plants in a few different ways. The first and easiest thing I did was look for native plants in the forest where I live. I tried to cultivate them to encourage more growth and let the animals eat and distribute the seeds over a few years. This strategy has yielded several patches of wild raspberry and blackberry canes that would not have been there otherwise.
The second thing I did was move any plants that cropped up in an area along the road that would be trimmed by the neighborhood landscapers. I also saw some wild oats going to seed this past year. I took some to spread a little further away from the main patch to reduce competition and allow them to spread.
Monoculture Vs Polyculture
My property is technically a polyculture because there is more than one type of plant on it. However, I’d consider it a low polyculture because there are really only about 15 species of plants that I’ve been able to identify over the past several years. I’d prefer a low polyculture to a monoculture any day, but I’m striving for a high (very diverse) polyculture. Like at least 30 species of native plants, with at least two cultivars of each species to add genetic diversity. This increases the ability for their offspring to evolve and adapt more quickly to a changing environment. A single cultivar can still adapt over time through mutations that occur in offspring grown from seed. However, those genetic mutations provide far less genetic diversity than the offspring of two distant parents.
So, though I have a vision for my permaculture homestead, it is in no way set in stone. In fact, quite the opposite. I expect my food forest to change over time as old plants die and their offspring emerge. I hope they will be better adapted to the new climate that they now face. Allowing animals to eat some of the fruits to spread the seeds and growing Maryland native plants from seeds I collect on the homestead are fundamental to strengthening the food forest. This is a common practice for many vegetable gardeners as well.
Introducing New Native Plant Species to the Food Forest
So, since I had a low polyculture food forest and I wanted a high polyculture food forest, I needed to introduce some new species. I’ve done this in a few ways. First, I went to a local nursery to see if they had any native trees and shrubs for sale, which they did. I specifically asked about serviceberry trees because they have berries similar to blueberries and I love blueberries. I ended up buying 3 serviceberry trees and planted 2 in partial sun and 1 in full sun. The one in full sun definitely looked healthier than the other two until the deep summer heat and humidity hit. Full sun was just too much for the tree, so I moved it next to the other 2 in the partial sun spot. I pruned away some holly branches to allow more light for all 3 trees.
The next way I’ve introduced new native species was by densely sowing lots of native seeds (I often sow seeds in the rain because then I don’t have to water them!). This basically just consisted of selecting seeds for native shade-tolerant flowering plants and some partial sun flowering plants. I did not want to use the full sun spots for growing anything that would not produce food. I love the pollinators, but there are very few plants that will produce a good harvest for humans without a lot of sunlight.
Sunlight is a resource
Sunlight for the berry shrubs is limited in the forest. Additionally, there are shade-tolerant alternatives for many popular Maryland native pollinator plants like Joe Pye Weed (use Sweet Joe Pye Weed in the shade) and Milkweed (use Poke Milkweed in the shade). Of course, I still sowed some other Maryland native plants in some nearly full sun locations, just for shits and giggles.
I did this because I think Butterfly Weed looks beautiful (not to be confused with the non-native Butterfly Plant that is no bueno for Monarch butterflies).
100% Native Plant Nurseries
I’ve also gone to a fully native plant nursery called Chesapeake Natives, which is pretty far up the road from where I live. I was in the area anyway, so I decided to stop by. I got a couple of American Black Cherry trees (Prunus Serotina) as I can never have enough fruit/berry trees and a couple of other small plants like Bee Balm. It was a cool place for sure.
Staring Plants from Seed to Transplant
And last but not least, I’ve started some seeds using the winter sowing technique to eventually transplant the seedlings into the ground. This is what a nursery would do anyway, and it is just way more cost-effective than buying seedlings or larger plants. Growing Maryland native plants from seed can be a rewarding experience. Native seeds can be bought from places like Prairie Moon and Seedville USA. Of course, the more commercial places like Burpee’s and Gurney’s. I like to buy from the little guys as often as I can, so I prefer the first two, and also from homesteaders like Homestead Culture, especially if they use Bluesky :)