When native plants thrive, the entire ecosystem thrives, too. What to know about native plants, and how they are crucial to our ecosystems first appeared on The Cool Down.

In the garden In her book “Plant This, Not That,” Elise Howard offers more than 200 substitution ideas for invasive plants.

Native plants have a symbiotic relationship with native wildlife and evolved within local environment. Here, a monarch rests on a blazing star, a native wildflower. Native plant species are better ...

Press releases are posted on Independent.com as a free community service. As homeowners face long, dry summers and periods of extended drought, and rising water bills, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden ...

The National Audubon Society’s “Wildflowers of North America” (Knopf, 2023) is a tour de force in the realm of plant guides. Full-page profiles of more than 850 species are included, each of which ...

Local plant nurseries are busiest during spring, but it’s often not until summer sets in that DIY landscapers can truly take stock of what’s working or not in their own backyards. Whether you’re ...

We’re known for our lush green lawns because the sun is always shining — it’s our ever-present resource. The water we use to water them, however, is not. Extended drought, climate change, suburban ...

In many of my articles, I write about the importance of planting with native plants. I usually also mention one of the challenges — choosing and finding the species you need. This article will help ...