By Ana Diaz —
On a recent afternoon, a small group of plant enthusiasts gathered in a cool room in Miami’s
Conservatory on the Hamilton campus. They met there to talk about Ohio’s native flowers. This month,
the topic is Ohio’s native vining plants.
Janelle Allen, a faculty member at Miami who has taught a variety of classes including human
physiology, field botany, and environmental biology, was presenting the talk about native vines. The talk
is part of a series called “Learn it at Lunch.” The talks focus on how plants native to Ohio can be used in
your landscapes at home to create a healthier, hardier environment in your own backyard.
Using native plants in your landscape is important because native plants are more disease-resistant and
offer the most to local animal and insect populations. Janelle Allen said that while most of Ohio’s plant
species are native, there are still around 500 non-native species, 100 of which are considered “problematic.” That is, these problematic plants, without the checks and balances found in their own environments, often choke out the native flora and can be difficult to control and remove. Non-native plants will also often rise early in the season, sequestering vital water and nutrients from the soil before the native plants have the chance to use it.
Some of these problematic vining species in Ohio include some types of honeysuckle and wintercreeper, which can take over trees, damaging old ones and preventing young ones from reaching maturity. Allen offered plenty of native options to grow up walls, trellises, and other structures. Sweet pea, a classic fragrant flower, is native, as is morning glory and Kentucky wisteria. There are vines to offer shade, unique blooms, and interesting textures to your landscape. Using native plants helps to improve the health of your backyard’s ecosystem and usually helps create less work for the gardener, as native plants are evolved for Ohio’s climate, and will be hardier and more disease-resistant.
The next talk will be held at the Conservatory on Oct. 18 and will feature native ground cover. The talks
are free and open to anyone who wants to learn more about how they can use native plants in their
landscape.