Out on a walk around their yard one frigid day, one person decided to snap photos of their garden plants covered in feathery frost.
They posted the photos on the subreddit r/NativePlantGardening, where fellow Redditors shared in their enthusiasm and admiration for the plants during this dormant time of year.
"Beautiful!" one person enthused. "Nature's art is fantastic."
The original poster shared the names of several of the featured plants, all of which they said were native to their area in Ontario — including blue vervain, black-eyed Susan, aster, yarrow, roundhead bush-clover, purple coneflower, and many more.
"Absolutely stunning!" one commenter wrote.
Another person shared, "I really love these. Learning about native plants has actually done a lot for my winter depression — there's so much going on out there once you know what to look for."
It's true; native plants in wintry areas have evolved to thrive throughout the seasons, and wintertime is just as important to their annual lifecycle as the abundant flowering seasons of spring and summer.
"I love the dormant phase so much," one person wrote. "Natural bird food and shelter for all kinds of insects and animals."
Indeed, many plants might appear to be dead during the winter, but they're far from it. According to Garden for Wildlife, the plant stops growing above ground in order to conserve energy deep within the root systems. "The energy is being stored in the roots, waiting for the right conditions to sprout new growth in the spring," it's explained. "Native plants are particularly well adapted to these cycles because they've evolved in sync with local climate patterns."
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Several hours a week 🧑🌾 In addition to helping the plants survive even the harshest winters, this adaptive mechanism means they can provide critical habitat for ground-dwelling animals and insects. It's why the National Wildlife Federation encourages homeowners to "Leave the Leaves" because they provide warmth and winter cover for pollinators like bees, bats, and birds, as well as salamanders, turtles, and mice.
To make your yard a haven for native plants and wildlife, start with TCD's guide to rewilding your yard with native plants.
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