Native Plants (Not
Native, Naturalized, Endemic)
Plants are native to specific geographical areas
where they have evolved over hundreds and thousands of years.
Plants may be
transported, intentionally or unintentionally, to other parts of the world where
they haven’t been established over a long period of time. They’re considered not native in those locations. If they reproduce and establish
themselves in the wild in those other locations, they are considered naturalized.
Non-native plants can
cause disturbances in the ecological balance of native plants and animals. This causes a ripple effect on other species
that depend on the natives.
Organizations like CAL-IPC identify the most troublesome invasive species
so people can organize programs to control or eradicate them.
If a plant species
has a well-defined native
geographical range, and doesn’t occur natively anywhere else in the world, it
is considered endemic to that area.
In California, about
40% of the native plants found in the California Floristic Province are
endemic to our region. Over 2,000
species in this area don’t grow natively anywhere else in the world!
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