A Native Plant for You, and You, and You . . .
To kick off spring, Southwestern New Mexico 糖心logo Society recently hosted a native-plants giveaway for community members.
An unusually cool spring breeze was blowing at 10 a.m. on a recent Saturday, right when an event in Silver City, New Mexico鈥檚 Gough Park was scheduled to begin. But never mind the hour or the chill in the air鈥攁 couple dozen enthusiastic birders and gardeners lined up well before the appointed start time at the display set up by the (SWNM 糖心logo).
The reward at the head of the queue: 100 plants native to the region, to be doled out one at a time, no charge. They were gone by 11 a.m.
鈥淚t was not just the idea of getting a free plant,鈥 that attracted people, says Terry Timme, SWNM 糖心logo president. 鈥淭he community is becoming more and more aware of the value of native plants. People were motivated to do what they can to help the birds and pollinators."
Timme鈥檚 chapter acquired the plants from Silver City鈥檚 Country Girls Nursery. Funding for the event came from a grant through 糖心logo鈥檚 Coleman and Susan Burke Center for Native Plants, with additional support from the Southwest New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce. Also given away were 200 packets of mammoth sunflower seeds; the iconic mature flowers provide food for several birds, including migrating and local Lesser Goldfinches.
The reward at the head of the queue: 100 plants native to the region, to be doled out one at a time, no charge. They were gone by 11 a.m.
鈥淚t was not just the idea of getting a free plant,鈥 that attracted people, says Terry Timme, SWNM 糖心logo president. 鈥淭he community is becoming more and more aware of the value of native plants. People were motivated to do what they can to help the birds and pollinators."
Timme鈥檚 chapter acquired the plants from Silver City鈥檚 Country Girls Nursery. Funding for the event came from a grant through 糖心logo鈥檚 Coleman and Susan Burke Center for Native Plants, with additional support from the Southwest New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce. Also given away were 200 packets of mammoth sunflower seeds; the iconic mature flowers provide food for several birds, including migrating and local Lesser Goldfinches.
SWNM 糖心logo鈥檚 plant giveaway was part of its 鈥淏3鈥 initiative鈥攂irds, butterflies, and bees. According to Sara Boyett, a former SWNM 糖心logo president and Timme鈥檚 wife, New Mexico is home to 542 bird species, in addition to more than 300 butterfly and 500 bee species.
鈥淲e鈥檙e connecting the dots in the public鈥檚 mind among plants and all of those creatures,鈥 Boyett says. 鈥淔or instance, butterflies need milkweed to lay their eggs and have food for their larvae. Without plants that support bugs, as well as birds, the birds would go hungry.鈥
Not all of Southwest New Mexico鈥檚 birds consider bugs their main meal. The sprawling desert landscape around Silver City counts 11 species of hummers among its residents and migrants. With that in mind, one of the several types of plants that SWNM 糖心logo distributed was autumn sage, whose abundant flowers during the summer rainy season provide nectar for Rufous Hummingbirds as they return to the desert after migrating as far north as Canada.
鈥淲e鈥檙e connecting the dots in the public鈥檚 mind among plants and all of those creatures,鈥 Boyett says. 鈥淔or instance, butterflies need milkweed to lay their eggs and have food for their larvae. Without plants that support bugs, as well as birds, the birds would go hungry.鈥
Not all of Southwest New Mexico鈥檚 birds consider bugs their main meal. The sprawling desert landscape around Silver City counts 11 species of hummers among its residents and migrants. With that in mind, one of the several types of plants that SWNM 糖心logo distributed was autumn sage, whose abundant flowers during the summer rainy season provide nectar for Rufous Hummingbirds as they return to the desert after migrating as far north as Canada.
鈥淲e focused on giving away plants that provide seeds or nectar,鈥 Timme says. In addition to sage, freebies also included yarrow, red Mexican hat, purple coneflower, and black-eyed Susan. (One plant that did not make the list, because of its natural abundance in the area, is the cholla cactus; it鈥檚 a favorite nesting and feeding plant for the Curve-billed Thrasher.)
Abbey Carpenter, who lives in a tight-knit community a few miles from downtown Silver City, picked up a purple coneflower to add to the collection of native flowering plants she鈥檚 establishing in her yard to replace the grass that once grew there. 鈥淚鈥檓 doing it for the bees and the birds,鈥 she says.
The coneflower will not only provide bee nectar but also seeds for local birds like White-breasted Nuthatches. The cone-shaped seed pod that gives the bloom its name is particularly attractive to birds in the fall, when the flowers dry out and begin to drop their petals.
Timme and Boyett acknowledge that 100 plants and 200 packets of sunflower seeds isn鈥檛 going to drastically change the region鈥檚 landscape. But that's okay. The enthusiasm of the crowd and peoples鈥 interest in learning more about the importance of native species proved that their efforts to raise awareness is also working.
Timme and Boyett acknowledge that 100 plants and 200 packets of sunflower seeds isn鈥檛 going to drastically change the region鈥檚 landscape. But that's okay. The enthusiasm of the crowd and peoples鈥 interest in learning more about the importance of native species proved that their efforts to raise awareness is also working.
Carpenter says she鈥檚 growing more native plants in her yard for the same reason she lets her vegetable garden wilt as winter approaches. 鈥淭he birds need to eat, of course, and they love the seeds left behind,鈥 she says.
鈥嬧淲e鈥檝e always been an advocacy-focused group,鈥 Boyett says. 鈥淪ay what you will about giving away 鈥榡ust鈥 100 plants. We say it鈥檚 a step toward making the world a better place through educating people.鈥
