Learn How to Go Native in Your Yard

Wondering what types of plants will grow best in your yard?

Find out Tuesday, May 14 when master gardeners from the Hillborough County Extension Office discuss gardening with plants that are native to Florida at 6:30 p.m. at the Seffner-Mango Branch Library, 410 N. Kingsway Rd., Seffner.

The free workshop will give homeowners tips on native, low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plants they can grow.

Here's a few reasons to grow native plants, according to the Florida Native Plant Society:

• Growing native plants contributes to the ecological balance in Florida.

• Native plants require less maintenance, are less expensive and save energy. 

• Native plants require little to no extra water or fertilizer compared to most exotics. 

• Native plants have been exposed to Florida's pests as long as they have existed in Florida, and continue to display their resistance to insects and disease in our own yards.

• Native plants are the best choice for attracting and nourishing native wildlife. Native plants provide the food and shelter that birds and butterflies need.

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