The region in which your business resides plays a considerable role in the type of landscaping plants you should employ. In any ecosystem, each plant or animal species’ survival depends on the sum of all other organisms’ symbiotic relationships. As a result, native plants are uniquely adapted to the region’s climate, elevation, soil conditions and wildlife. When you opt to use native species, your business saves money on commercial landscape maintenance for a myriad of reasons.

Water Usage

Because native plants are adapted to the local climate and soil, they require minimal watering once installed and taken root, especially when compared to lawn. Instead, they rely effortlessly on the area’s natural weather patterns to provide the appropriate amounts of rainwater for their nourishment. Native plants are therefore ideal for handling stormwater that would overwhelm non-native plants, preventing flooding and erosion. When you incorporate native plants into your landscaping, you save money on your water bill and potentially on other kinds of facility maintenance commonly affected by erosion or water damage.

Chemicals & Pesticides

Native plants have evolved over thousands of centuries to thrive in their homeland soil and comfortably resist the pests and predators that come with the region. These natural defenses far outperform and make unnecessary any artificial landscaping treatment with fertilizers, pesticides or insecticides. At the same time, foreign species are vulnerable to diseases and pests that they are not naturally equipped to fight and must depend on these expensive chemicals to survive. As a commercial business owner or facility manager, it’s impractical to waste room in your budget for chemicals that would otherwise not be needed and only find their eventual way into the drainage systems and water supply.

Environmentally-Friendly

A complete ecosystem is self-sustaining. Each species plays a vital role in the natural cycle, ensuring the survival of dependent species. Native plantings are no different as they provide shelter for birds, insects, rodents and other wildlife. Their blossoms fuel the local pollinators that are so exigent for the planet’s overall health, and their fruits and seeds provide abundant nourishment for all kinds of critters. Because native plants don’t need fertilizers or pesticides, fewer chemicals will taint the bodies of water that give life to so many other animals and plants. They also help to better the air quality by converting carbon dioxide to oxygen and reducing the use of fuels due to less frequent mowing.

Reduced Maintenance

Native species require significantly less upkeep than foreign plants. Not only do they require little to no mowing or treatment with soil-altering chemicals, but their adaptation to the local weather grants them a hardiness that keeps them thriving year in and year out. Non-native plants will generally not survive the harsh winters or blistering summers of your area and consequently must be replaced after every year. Alternatively, invasive species with unfair biological advantages will reproduce excessively and dominate your landscaping, footing you with the bill for constant weeding and re-landscaping.

Foreign plants may seem like the exotic, dreamy option for your commercial landscaping. However, you’ll end up spending too much money unnecessarily on extra water, fertilizing chemicals, pesticides, and seasonal upkeep. Plus, you’ll miss out on the wealth of beautiful grasses, trees, shrubs and perennials that are native to your unique area. Native plants are not only the most environmentally-friendly choice, but they will also generate the most return on investment for your commercial landscaping.