Juniata High School

April showers bring May flowers, and with the recent rain, it seems all the more true. Here are some native plants to keep an eye out for this spring that grow right in your backyard! Native plants are important because they help maintain a healthy ecosystem and keep native pollinators alive and well. They are often the base for entire food webs, and losing any native plant species could be detrimental to the native ecosystem. One of the more common ones you could find would be Coreopsis or tickseed. They have bright yellow flowers and leafy bases. You can even find them in the outdoor classroom! They benefit a lot of species, including pollinators like butterflies, moths, and bees. Another native plant you could look to find this spring is an elderberry bush. If you can find it now, you’ll have time to collect some of its fruit this fall. This can’t be done during the harvest season, though, as they only remain ripe for a short period. There are also tons of other plants that are native to Pennsylvania. A lot of them are wildflowers, and they also have a positive impact on the world. I encourage you this spring to maybe try and plant some native plant seedlings around your house or to try and protect existing ones you find. Happy Hunting!