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HomeMy WebLinkAboutITEM IV - Native Plant Info_2023Native Plant Brochure for City of Oshkosh This is a draft and not formatted yet. Its purpose is to provide resources about native plants and to help people understand what native plants are, the reasons for using native plants, and city code relevant to the use of native plants on private property. Your input on content and length is appreciated. This draft is an attempt to include feedback from reviewers of an earlier draft. Please let me know if you want to see the feedback I got. Red print is not part of the final brochure. The City of Oshkosh Supports the Use of Native Plants Landscaping requirements -Figure 30-254a of Commonly-Used Appropriate Landscaping Species in Municipal Code Section 30-254 Classification of Plant Species includes plants native to Wisconsin that receive an additional 10% added to point values for landscaping requirements.There are some plants native to Wisconsin on this list that are not marked as native. Also use of “spp” may lead to inclusion of some plants not native to Wisconsin. Rain Gardens and StormWater Credits - Stormwater credits for installation of a rain garden are available. A rain garden is a shallow depression typically planted with native plants that collects and filters rain falling on hard services. Municipal Code Section 30-255 describes Standards for Rain Gardens and Bioswales.Need contact information for application to receive stormwater credits. Native Landscaping Areas -Section 17-44.2 of the Municipal Code Native Landscaping Areas describes the process for receiving approval of a native landscaping area within the City of Oshkosh. Native landscaping areas are also known as maintained prairies or meadows. Need contact information for approval of native landscaping areas Exemptions To Weed Cutting Requirements -Section 17-44D of the Municipal Code lists several exemptions to weed cutting and lawn care requirements. Among the exemptions are vegetation on steep slopes that would be unsafe to mow, vegetation in natural wooded lots, vegetation near water, and approved Native Landscaping Areas. The CIty of Oshkosh Sustainability Plan has a section on native planting in Ch. 4 - Environmental Conservation. Should this also be referenced? Online Native Plant Resources Links are given as titles of websites. Should URLs also be given? Plant native plants to help nature | | Wisconsin DNR Guidance from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on native plants Wild Ones Fox Valley Local chapter of national non-profit group that “promotes environmentally sound landscaping practices to increase biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities”(how should this quote from their website be cited?). The Fox Valley Area chapter hosts a spring native plant sale, runs a mentoring program, has a grant program in support and natural landscapes and outdoor classroom using native plants, and provides many educational opportunities. USDA Plants Database Information on plants including whether a plant is a native or introduced species to regions within the United States Pollinator Conservation Resources: Great Lakes Region | Xerces Society - Includes lists of native plants and information on creation of pollinator habitat. Plants for Birds (audubon.org)Includes a native plant database to find native plants that will bring more birds to a yard or garden. Weeds of Wisconsin | USDA PLANTS Covers invasive,introduced and noxious weeds. Some invasive species may take over an area and prevent growth of desired native plants. Wisconsin's endangered and threatened species list Includes an explanation of Wisconsin law. Home - Pl@ntNet,Seek by iNaturalist,PictureThis are phone apps useful in identifying the plants species already present. When planning a native plant garden, it is useful to know if native plants are already present, and if there are any invasive species that should be removed. https://healthylakeswi.com/provides information on creating wildlife habitats on shoreland property and is a source of grants for projects that benefit a collective of shoreland owners. Available at the Oshkosh Public Library Steinter, Lynn M.Landscaping with Native Plants of Wisconsin. St. Paul, MN : MBI Pub. Co., 2007 Tallamy, Douglas W.The Nature of Oaks.Portland,OR : Timber Press, 2021 Tallamy, Douglas W.Nature’s Best Hope. Portland,OR : Timber Press, 2020 Tallamy, Douglas W.Bringing nature home: How native plants sustain wildlife in our gardens. Portland, OR : Timber Press, 2007 Plant Native Plants for Beautiful Landscapes and To Protect Nature Native plants are species that grew naturally in a region before European settlement. Native plants are well adapted to the environmental conditions in each region and have co-evolved with the wildlife in its region. In addition to providing food and habitat for pollinators, birds and other wildlife, native plants filter water pollutants and store carbon. Since native plants are adapted to their surroundings, native plants are more tolerant of drought and poor soil, and more resistant to native insects and diseases. Someone choosing to plant species native to Wisconsin can choose among many attractive flowers, grasses, sedges, bushes and trees that are adapted to the particular conditions on their property. There are many online resources for using native plants in landscaping. Native plant nurseries will help you identify plants that will be successful for a particular purpose and specific conditions found in a yard or garden. Whether or not a plant is a native to a region does not determine if it is a weed. It is unfortunate that certain native plants have "weed" in their common names. An example is milkweed (genus Asclepias) which are the required host plants for monarch butterfly caterpillars. Many native plants are listed as endangered or threatened by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.It is important to use native plants that are propagated and not gathered. Gathering native plants disrupts native plant communities. Reputable nurseries will answer your questions about the source of their plants. A reviewer suggested it could be helpful to discuss aggressiveness of certain native and non-native plants. I haven’t figured out where this would fit, or how much detail should be included.