5 Reasons Why You Should Plant Native Trees- Earth Day 2024
At Pro Signs we value the local ecosystems and support ecological health, which is why on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2024, we planted native trees at our company headquarters in Downingtown Pennsylvania. The trees that were planted were all native trees and consisted of 3 varieties.
- Oak
- Black Willow
- Witch Hazel
We chose these species of trees because they are highly beneficial and provide food, shelter, and much more to all living beings within an ecosystem. Oak trees alone are known as a Keystone species which means they are vital to the ecosystem’s health and for our survival as well. Oak trees are known to be a host plant for over 4,000 insects and even more fungi, birds, plants, and animals.
So why should you plant Native Trees?
- Native trees provide habitat, food, and shelter for native species of insect and animals.
Since the start of the new millennia (and even long before) we have been cutting down and devastating forests. From the year 2000 to 2023 in the United States Alone we have cut 47.9 million Hectares (Hectares are translated as 2.71 acres) – So roughly 130,0808,048 acres of land. That is a massive amount of food and shelter that animals’ birds and insects and us, rely on to survive. Planting Native trees helps give back and fight against the decline of these lost habitats.
- Native trees have evolved with our local plant life, animals, and insects.
Planting Native plants is very important. Ecosystems don’t just pop up out of nowhere. They take time to come into being and have evolved for over hundreds of thousands of years. Certain insects can only survive off certain plants, same with birds and bees. Non-native / invasive plants did not evolve with our local wildlife and can be toxic and inedible for our wildlife, or not supply nearly enough nutrients to them.
- Planting Native trees can combat the influx of invasive species.
Non-Native plants, when planted take away from resources and space that native plants need to thrive in, and, in some cases, can out compete them. This can lead to a lack of food for animals’ birds and insects which can contribute to an imbalance in the health of an ecosystem. Planting Native plants helps bolster our native environments and provide ecological health.
- Native Trees are easy to care for!
Native plants are meant to be in their native habitat! This means once established they require little to no attention and are low maintenance!
- Native plants are beautiful and very biodiverse!
Native trees and plants are beautiful and eye catching. We live in a culture where we can go to the mega stores and buy easy grow invasive plants, but what no one tells you is that for every foreign species out there we have a native version of that. One example is bamboo. Bamboo is a highly invasive and hard to get rid of plant, but did you know we have a native version that grows right here in PA. It is called Arundinaria. There are always native options if you know where to look or who to ask.
Native plants and trees are vitally important to not only wildlife survival and health but also our own. Plant Native trees! Keep our native areas wild!
