
“And, of course, the shade redcedars create for wildlife is one of the best.” “I learned a long time ago that it really does help reduce your heating bill,” Branhagen says. There is a type of oak for each part of Ohio, too, such as swamp white oak for wetter climates or blackjack oak for drier ones.Įastern Redcedar: This tough evergreen blocks cold winter winds and provides shade in the summer. “Depending on where you are and what kind of soils you have.” These trees support more species than any other native tree and provide much-needed shade. “I recommend everyone to plant an oak,” he says.

Oak Tree: Branhagen has one bit of advice he likes to tell interested gardeners: Start with an oak. Here are Branhagen’s recommendations for 10 native Ohio plants that will benefit both your backyard and the environment: They’re pretty critical.”ĭiversity is key to creating a healthy, sustainable ecosystem and makes a garden all the more vibrant. “They grew with existing soils and existing rainfall and existing or changing climates. “ grew here before without anyone gardening them,” he says, explaining the benefits of growing native plants over invasive or exotic species. Branhagen’s The Midwest Native Plant Primer provides information on 225 plants native to 12 states, including Ohio. In spite of - or maybe because of - our state’s ever-changing weather conditions, Ohio gardeners can easily create an eco-friendly environment by making native plants part of their backyards.

He spent a significant amount of time in Ohio, traveling from the Lake Erie shoreline to Adams County as he studied our range of native plant life. Although his home is in Chaska, Minnesota, landscape architect Alan Branhagen knows what plants thrive where, from the Dakotas to the Buckeye State.
