Native Plants Surge as Gardeners Try to Save Bees & Butterflies

As insect populations decline, home gardens are changing. Native species—milkweed, coneflowers, goldenrod and native grasses—are transforming front yards and parkways into vital habitat for pollinators and birds.

What was once a niche interest among ecological hobbyists is now a mainstream response to a global conservation problem: declining insect populations.

Native plants are experiencing a renaissance. Groups dedicated to local species have ballooned in membership, retailers report surging sales, and homeowners are swapping turf for nectar-rich beds.

What was once a niche interest among ecological hobbyists is now a mainstream response to a global conservation problem: declining insect populations.

Numbers that matter

While comprehensive national tracking is limited, regional indicators are clear. Native gardening groups across the Midwest have grown rapidly, and some garden centers report spring native plant sales nearly doubled since 2023. Nurseries say 2025 sales have already outpaced full-year 2024 figures.

Science drives the urgency

Peer-reviewed studies and major scientific organizations have raised alarm about insect declines. A landmark 2017 study documented steep reductions in flying insect biomass, and subsequent reports have linked falling insect numbers to bird population losses and broader ecosystem impacts. 

For citizen gardeners, these findings answer a simple question: plant natives to provide food and shelter for insects—before it’s too late.

Homegrown National Park: Entomologist Doug Tallamy proposes a 20-million-acre network of native plantings on private land. His idea reframes individual yards as pieces of a continuous habitat that supports insects and the animals that rely on them.

Real people, real impact

Gardeners like Amanda Nugent transformed their lawns into living classrooms. Her garden—teeming with wasps, bumblebees, moths and butterflies—demonstrates how a suburban yard can become an ecological hotspot. These tangible results give neighbors the motivation to try native gardening for themselves.

How to start your own native patch

• Begin small: Replace a corner of lawn or a single bed with native species.
• Pick host plants: Milkweed for monarchs; native oaks and willows support many caterpillar species.

Danaus plexippus, adult monarch butterfly on Asclepias incarnata, swamp milkweed.

• Mix layers: Combine trees, shrubs, perennials and grasses to provide year-round habitat.
• Avoid pesticides: Sprays harm beneficial insects; embrace natural balance instead.
• Source locally: Buy from native-plant nurseries or seed exchanges to ensure genetic suitability.

Why it matters beyond your yard

Birds feed insects to fledglings, pollinators support food crops, and diverse plant communities store carbon and hold soil. 

A patchwork of native gardens across neighborhoods can reconnect fragmented habitats and stabilize populations of insects and birds that have declined over recent decades.

Resources & next steps

Connect with local native-plant societies, museum programs, and community gardens. Many cities now highlight native plantings in parks—an implicit endorsement that can help normalize the practice. Whether you plant milkweed in a narrow strip or convert a front-yard lawn, every native species planted helps.