Beauty grows in own back yard

Now's the time to go native, especially since June has been declared Utah Native Plant Month by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

When considering native plants, it is important to define what you mean by "native." The United States National Arboretum defines a native plant as one "that lives or grows naturally in a particular region without direct or indirect human intervention."

Of course any plant is native to some place. And like any plants, natives have to be selected according to their requirements. One good question to ask is "native to what?"

Plants that are native to a dry desert hillside are going to perform differently in a garden than those that grow naturally along a mountain stream.

One organization that promotes the use of native plants is the Intermountain Native Plant Growers Association. The INPGA's Utah's Choice program features 42 Intermountain native perennials, grasses, shrubs and trees that are easy to grow and maintain in Utah landscapes.

One of the difficulties in getting people to use native plants is the perception that they are just a bunch of ugly, weedy desert plants. But nothing could be further from the truth.

According to the INPGA's Web site, "The Intermountain West holds a vast treasure of plant diversity. Naturalists and plant enthusiasts come from all over the world to see what we have in our own back yard.

"The region as a whole touts at least 215 endemic (found nowhere else in the world) plant species, and 58 endemic varieties and subspecies. This means that with native plants, we can choose from many colorful wildflowers, flowering shrubs, interesting grasses and hardy trees."

When you look at the plants featured in the Utah's Choice Program, it is easy to get excited. They are colorful and grow well throughout the state — as long as you respect their individual requirements.

One of my favorites on the list is the penstemon. Utah's Choice identifies five outstanding plants including Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon eatonii), Palmer Penstemon (Penstemon palmeri), Whipple Penstemon (Penstemon whippleanus), Wasatch Penstemon (Penstemon cyananthus) and Utah Penstemon (Penstemon utahensis.)

All of these have beautiful, upright flower spikes that vary according to the species. Plants may have as many as 20 flowering stalks. They are going to grow best when they have full sun and well-drained soil.