Plants that evolve together over billions of years develop communication systems to survive. One amazing way they signal each other is by sending electrical impulses and nutrition through their roots. The roots are linked with the plant community through fungal hyphae. This mycorrhizal network works in symbiosis with the roots it links together, receiving nutrition from the plants. This fungal network, also called the ‘wood-wide web’, allows native plants to send alarm signals when there is an insect attack. These signals alert other plants so that they can alter their chemicals to become less tasty to the bugs. Parent trees, such as Canyon oaks or Coast Live Oaks, when they begin to die will send extra nutrition to their own sprouted acorns to help them win the race for light when there is an opening in the canopy.  Scientists have found that plants will help send nutrition to everyone in the community, even those with who they are in competition. This is because illness attracts insects, and sickly or dead plants open the canopy to storm and sun damage, impacting the whole plant neighborhood.

By interplanting natives throughout your garden, and by using California native plants along the boundary of your property, you are setting up these signaling networks that will benefit all of your non-native plants.  For a long flowering season, try a mixture of sages such as Alpine Blue or Bee’s Bliss along with the stunning coral/apricot flowers of Apricot Mallow Louis Hamilton, red buckwheat, and the grey foliage and happy faces of California aster. If you have room for taller shrubs and trees, layer Western Redbud and any California Lilac, such as Dark Star, with the other shrubs for a more complete community.

As always, find out more wonderful information about the enormous variety of native plants available locally from Moosa Creek’s website.

Diane and Miranda Kennedy operate Finch Frolic Garden Permaculture, www.vegetariat.com.