Choosing Local: The Mississippi Native Plant Society’s Presence in Jackson
Photo courtesy of Derrick Robertson and the Mississippi Native Plant Society
“Buy Local” is a common refrain heard around Jackson among neighbors who want to support the local community. This spring, the Mississippi Native Plant Society suggests taking that idea a step further: “Plant native.”
Native plants are at home in Mississippi’s yearly temperature ranges and humid environment. Non-native plants may do fine too, but they’re often not as hearty as their local counterparts. They may also spread diseases that native plants have no defenses against. For these reasons and many more, neighborhood groups across Jackson are increasingly turning to native plants to improve yards, support local bees and other pollinators, and reduce the costs associated with maintaining non-native species. For guidance, they’re turning to the Mississippi Native Plant Society.
Founded in 1980 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Mississippi Native Plant Society provides statewide education about native flora through meetings, field trips, workshops, plant sales and other activities. Jacksonian and IT professional Derrick Robertson is president of the organization’s Mid-MS Bluffs to Prairies Chapter.
“Native plants are the low-cost and low-maintenance option for yards,” Robertson said. “By their nature, they have deeper root systems,” Robertson said. “So they absorb rain and reduce runoff and help out with flooding.” Native plants “work together” to grow, provide food for wildlife and attract insects that local wildlife prefer. Many of those insects are pollinators that often simply ignore exotic plants.
Even Jackson’s plants and wildlife need a strong “community” in order to thrive, Robertson points out.
“One of the things that’s great about the Native Plant Society is that it fosters community in a way that is very local because native plants are local,” Robertson said. “Look to your backyard and front yard when you want to make a difference. It’s a very manageable thing to do.”
Robertson has practiced what he preaches in his own Jackson neighborhood “on the border” between Eastover and LOHO.
“I looked out the window one day and realized that I didn’t know the names of most of the plants,” he said.
The more he learned about gardening and native plants, the more he wanted to learn.
“I’ve been swapping out whole plants for native plants the entire time I’ve been here,” he said. “I just planted a flowering dogwood and a couple of strawberry bushes.” For Robertson, becoming president of the local chapter of the Mississippi Native Plant Society was a “natural” progression.
Photo courtesy of Derrick Robertson and the Mississippi Native Plant Society
The organization’s mission centers on information and communication, and membership is open to anyone. The Mississippi Native Plant Society publishes a quarterly newsletter and maintains resources on its website and Facebook page for residents who want to incorporate native plants into their yards or neighborhoods. Join their community group on Facebook to connect with members of the organization. It’s easy and membership is relatively inexpensive with many options, including a lifetime membership option.
So Buy Local and Plant Native! Keep an eye on the Jackson Association of Neighborhoods Community Calendar for events sponsored by the Mississippi Native Plant Society, as well as other plant sales or garden-related events taking place in Jackson this spring.