At Wild Ones, we’re dedicated to connecting people and native plants. Our Native Plant News blog delivers the latest stories on native plant conservation, scientific discoveries, and habitat restoration from across the nation. This monthly, volunteer-written feature is designed to educate, engage, and inspire action, empowering readers to support biodiversity and promote sustainable landscaping with native flora.
Ancient Forests, Powerful Climate Allies
Researchers from Lund and Stanford Universities found that old-growth forests store significantly more carbon than managed forest.
The study, published this month in Science, investigated old-growth forests in Sweden with little to no human disturbance and found these forests stored 78-89% more carbon in living and dead trees. They also found that the soil beneath old-growth forests stores a huge share of carbon, in some areas up to 64% of the total carbon compared to 30% that live trees stored.“The most surprising result is the large amounts of carbon stored in the soil of old-growth forests. It is the same amount as all the carbon in managed forests – trees, dead wood, and soil, combined,” said Anders Ahlström, one of the study authors.
Managed forests, which usually replace old-growth forests, are usually made up of one species of tree and store far less carbon. Even counting carbon stored in wood-based products failed to make up the difference. “Carbon stored in wood products from harvested forests is relatively small and does not even compensate for the difference in dead wood, let alone the differences in living trees and soil,” noted study co-author Didac Pascual. If these managed forests matched old-growth forest carbon storage potential, nearly 8 billion tons of carbon would be kept out of the atmosphere, demonstrating how important old-growth forests are in slowing climate change. Unfortunately, old-growth forests in Sweden alone have been lost at a rate of 1.4% a year between 2003 and 2019, higher than the loss of rainforests in some parts of the Amazon.
Old-growth forests hold far more carbon than managed forests – Earth.com
Didac Pascual et al., Higher carbon storage in primary than secondary boreal forests in Sweden. Science 391,1256-1261(2026). DOI: 10.1126/science.adz8554
Illinois: Preserving the Echoes of the Past
A remnant prairie and the area around a pioneer cemetery are now protected thanks to a 149-acre purchase by the Natural Land Institute (NLI). This purchase also protects the historic settler cemetery. NLI purchased the Ogle County land thanks to funds from the sale of 80 acres of farmland donated to the organization in 2025.
Less than one-tenth of 1% of Illinois’ former 22 million acres of prairie remain. This prairie remnant contains endangered plant species that are now protected and restoration work of the remnant non-tilled areas is starting immediately. Existing farmland will be worked using regenerative agricultural practices, and fields may eventually be converted to prairie or grazing lands to provide habitat for grassland birds.
Iowa: Pollinators Power Plant Diversity
Research has shown that plant biodiversity attracts more pollinators. A new study out of Iowa State University, published this month in Ecology, shows that the pollinators also increase plant biodiversity.
The experiment was performed on 50 acres of prairie where researchers covered flowers with bags that let light in but kept pollinators out. Compared to control plots where pollinators had normal access to flowers, researchers observed a 50% reduction in viable seeds, a 27% decline in species richness, and a 23% decline in plant species richness overall in pollinator-excluded plants over 4 years. The results suggest that pollinator population decline could cause plant biodiversity losses, further reducing pollinator populations, creating a “plant-pollinator extinction vortex.”
This important pollinator-plant biodiversity relationship can help scientists and land managers consider the presence of pollinator habitat when planning prairie reconstructions, especially in urban environments.
Link between pollinators and diverse landscapes is a two-way street-IAState.Edu
Soley, Nathan M., and Brian J.Wilsey. 2026. “Pollinators Maintain Biodiversity in Assembling Plant Communities.” Ecology 107(4): e70369. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70369
Planting for the bees? Native is best, please!
A study last fall from Oregon State University has found that cultivars, varieties bred for traits like flower colors, larger or longer blooms, and smaller sizes, do not provide the same nutritional value to pollinators.
The study, published last fall in the journal Environmental Entomology, compared five Pacific Northwest native plant species and 11 cultivars. Characteristics such as bloom timing, floral density, height, floral size and color, nectar volume and sugar content, and pollen nutrition were measured. Bee communities found on each plant were also recorded to understand how breeding for different traits may affect plant-pollinator relationships. Researchers found that 9 out of 11 cultivars studied supported different bee communities than their native counterparts, usually a smaller range of species. Some cultivars had less nectar, lower sugar content, and different pollen nutrition as a result of selecting for ornamental traits.
“We found that the development of native cultivars can change traits that matter to bees, even when breeders were not intentionally selecting for nectar or pollen,” Jen Hayes, the study’s lead author, said. “Plants that stayed closer to the wild-type phenotype tended to support bee communities that were more functionally rich. There is intrinsic value to planting native plants in the landscape and if the goal is to maximize support for pollinators, especially a diversity of bee species, native plants are the safest choice.”
Native plants offer broader bee benefits than cultivars, OSU study finds – OregonState.edu
Jen J -M Hayes, Nicole C S Bell, Lincoln R Best, Svea R Bruslind, Leo A Case, Devon O Johnson, Kailey N Legier, Mallory E Mead, Tyler S Spofford, Priyadarshini Chakrabarti, Lauren N Baugus, Gail A Langellotto, Pacific Northwest native plants and native cultivars part II: plant and pollinator traits, Environmental Entomology, Volume 54, Issue 6, December 2025, Pages 1386–1402, https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaf105
Wisconsin: A Small Plant with a Big Invasive Impact
Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna, formerly named Ranunculus ficaria) is a non-native invasive plant spreading quickly through Wisconsin and other nearby states. This plant is native to Africa and Asia and was brought over to the United States for ornamental purposes.
Spring is the best time to spot this plant as its bright yellow flowers are in bloom. The plant is also characterized by heart-shaped dark green leaves. Lesser celandine spreads quickly, outcompetes, and kills native plants. Lesser celandine can be pulled but the root system makes it difficult to dig out the entire plant.
“Reporting this and removing it, if possible, is just so important to protect our native ecosystems,” Michelle Beloskur, director of the Midwest Invasive Plant Network, said. “If you care about spring wildflowers, if you care about our Midwest forests, it’s really important to report these plants and make sure that we prevent further spread.” In Wisconsin, lesser celandine populations can be reported to EDDMapS or the Wisconsin First Detector Network.
Invasive plant rapidly spreading through Wisconsin – WPR.org
Florida: Using Native Plants to Beautify and Sustain
A beautification project in Clermont is using native plants to create a vibrant, low-maintenance landscape that is uniquely Florida.
“Prior to this were ornamental trees and ornamental plants you had to water constantly, they would die out in the freezes, they would die out in the droughts, you’d have to change them pretty regularly,” explained Deputy City Manager Dan Matthys. The 10 species of native plants lining Montrose Street from West to 7th are already acclimated to Florida’s climate and won’t need nearly as much water unless a drought occurs.
Residents will save money as well: upkeep of the previous landscaping was at least six figures and came out of the general fund. “I love it,” said resident Megan Savatgy, “I think it’s bringing great colors down here, it’s going to give us shade in downtown, which we need, it’s going to create more of a family environment. Anything to reduce taxes, I think, is great.”
Downtown Clermont unveils native Florida plant makeover – ClickOrlando.com
Pussy Willow: An Early Lifeline for Pollinators
American pussy willow (Salix discolor) is one of the earliest blooming plants in many areas of the United States and one of the few food sources available for emerging pollinators. And not just pollinators benefit from this plant. According to Doug Tallamy, entomologist and author of “Nature’s Best Hope” and “Bringing Nature Home,” native willows are a “keystone” species, one of the 14% of native plants that support 90% of butterfly and moth species. Pussy willow supports the mourning cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa), Cecropia (Hyalophora cecropia), and Io (Automeris io) moths. These caterpillars also support birds that feed the caterpillars to their offspring.
Pussy willows are generally a 6- to 15-foot, multi-stemmed shrub. Male trees produce fuzzy floral catkins that bloom yellow and provide vital pollen and nectar for early-emerging bees. Female shrubs have small green catkins. Later in the season, catkins are replaced with dark green leaves. Pussy willow prefers full sun but tolerates part-shade. This shrub is a great choice for wetter areas such as by streams, ponds, wetlands, or rain gardens.
This native plant is a godsend for early pollinators – RepublicanHerald.com