new to gardening with native plants

Posted this in the Ga Gardening forum and Beginner Landscaping, too...

I just dug out a bunch of overgrown chinese privet in my back yard. It was probably 50 years old, and it was in huge trees that created a very pretty natural island that the birds and rabbits loved - but the privet itself was invasive, and it was popping up everywhere in my yard (and my neighbor's yards) and so I wanted to get rid of it. But I miss having a natural, wild island in my (large) yard, and I want to replant.

To replant, I want stuff that can just sort of grow wild back there without invading my yard / my neighbors yards. The area is full sun. I need plants that are pretty carefree, that can survive without watering (other than rain) once established, tolerate our extreme southern droughts and will thrive in my heavy clay soil - and it would be nice if it was stuff that birds / butterflies / bees will like. It would be nice if it could shelter the rabbits that were living there. And I was hoping to stick with native plants. Oh, and nothing too toxic, I have a 1 year old, and this is not far from my vegetable garden and blueberry bushes, and the millions of poison privet berries that hung at child level all winter are another reason i wanted to get those things out of my yard.

I've been thumbing through the Southern Living Garden Book, and searching the plant files here, and I have made a list of plants that I think might work. But I'm new to this, and I only know these plants from pictures and descriptions in books and on the internet. So, I'd love to tap into your expertise. Do you guys have any thoughts on this list?

Virginia Sweetspire
Ohio Spiderwort
Bowman's Root
Beebalm (Wild Bergamot)
Tall Black Eyed Susan
Simpson Rosinweed
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Red Chokeberry
American Beautyberry
Mountain Laurel
Hop-tree

I was going to plant maybe one of each in the ~ 40' x 8' "L" shaped area, with the shorter stuff on the southern side and the taller stuff in back, water to establish, and then basically let them go wild. Do you have thoughts on these plants? Can you think of other plants I should consider?

Also, what are some good sources for native plants?

Hi Kimma,
Just wanted to let you know I read your post with great interest though I really have very different gardening conditions. You seem to be off to a great start in your plans. I'm familiar with some of the plants on your list and plan on looking up the others.
Have you visited GPC Native Plant Botanical Garden in Decatur? They have links to lists of perennials, shubs, vines and even ferns and online photo tours of their gardens including a xeric garden.

http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/native_garden.htm

I wish I had experience growing plants in the conditions you have because it would be a lot more fun to have a conversation with you to share experiences. Good luck to you in your wonderful efforts!

Hi Angele! I haven't been to that GPC garden - I didn't even know about it. Thanks so much for the link!! I'll have to stop by. I'll post updates on my efforts, in case anything that works for me might work for you, even though our conditions aren't the same.

Hello Kimma, here is a list of plants native to New Mexico, there are over 2000 of them, have fun reading.
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/combo.php?distribution=NM&habit=&duration=
Josephine.

heehee, Kimma, Josephine is one of our most learned native plant experts and also one of our busiest. You can do a lot of searches at wildflower.org to find native plants for GEORGIA, teehee. ;~S
(Hi Josephine!)

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you decide on & I'd love to hear about your experiences along the way. I just started a complete redo of my yard here in New Mexico last year. I ended up putting in natives mostly as the 'bones' of the landscaping, maybe 30-40% of the yard. I was frustrated in my efforts to find native perennial flowers commercially. I wanted a variety of xeric plants that the birds, bees butterflies would love. I'm pretty happy with my choices and as I think about it my estimate may be too low. I really need to do an inventory.

Oh my goodness, talk about a goof, where did I get that you were in MN? Thank you for pointing it out Angele.
Anyway here is the link for Georgia. Have fun.
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/combo.php?distribution=GA&habit=&duration=
Josephine.

Kimma - I'm in z7. I have a red chokeberry that the cardinals & mockingbirds
have stripped. I also have a black chokeberry (in a pot because it supposedly
is a vigorous spreader by suckers) - the berries seemed to disappear all of
a sudden (& didn't notice any on the ground), so I'm guessing the birds like
that one, too!
I also have an American Beautyberry - I've had it about 4yrs. I've never
seen the birds eat the berries, but I have to admit, the berries' color in fall is
SPECTACULAR! I've gotten a lot of compliments on it. You just have to prune
it well in spring because it flowers on new wood. Good luck.

If you ever need shade plants, I have plenty of those and they are at least hardy to zone 6.
Debc

I have the Hop Tree, which can be used as understory if not too much shaded or can be by itself. I like them! Great butterfly host plant! I get caterpillars from two different butterflies on mine.

thanks for all the advice!

kimma, I have seen mockingbirds and cardinals eat our Beautyberries (as well as deer for the first time this year, when the berries left were freeze-damaged). I think your plans sound great; we battle privet even way out here in the country.

Many people, including me, find Mtn Laurel challenging, but you could try the Illiciums if you have some shade. They are wonderful large evergreen shrubs. In fact, some evergreens for the wildlife would be very desirable. Good luck.

Kimma
most of the plants you have looked at would not be appropriate for you, if indeed you have full sun. I live south of Atlanta and work for a native plant nursery. I can email the name if you like. The plants that would work out of your list would be bowmans root, blackeyed susan, possibly beebalm 'Jacob Cline' and the Hop Tree. The others may survive, but would probably not look their best and would take too much maintenance. Either way, you need to fix your heavy clay soil or you are going to have a difficult time with just about any plant. Soil amendments and/ or raised beds are the way to go. A soil test might be of some value as well. The plants I would take a look at are wax myrtle (great for birds and deer resistant), liatris, roughleaf dogwood, goldenrod, phlox subulata, numerous cactus species, coral bean (personal favorite), feverbark tree, possumhaw, turkey oak, longleaf pine, georgia oak, native rosemary and basil, devilwood, possibly alabama croton, muhly grass, switch grass, standing cypress (flower), indian blanket, several salvia species, runner oak, pignut hickory, several aster species (especially georgia aster), and many others that escape me at the time. That should give you a good start. I grow every plant on the list I gave you. Most importantly, fix your soil before you plant anything.

botanicalbrian, although directed at Kimma, your mention of a native plant nursery interests me also. We have quite a few acres of mostly woodland and I garden on the edges using mostly azaleas, etc. I've seen natives over the years such as Solomon Seal, wild ginger, wintergreen and my most favorite, "sparkleberry", a sweet tree with tiny white umbrella type blooms in the spring, providing berries for the birds. Will you dmail me the nursery mentioned? thanks
Sharon

Kimma, you said nothing toxic. Forget the coral bean!!!! The beans are beautiful and would attract a curious child, yet are highly toxic.

I also am trying to re-establish some native species in our 2-acre lot on an old pasture, but am lucky that we are next to some woods. We have some beautiful white oaks reseeding. The acorns have less tannins than the red oaks and are favored mast for squirrels, deer and other animals. Indians used to use white oak flour in pemmican. I've also had luck with wild cherry, beautyberry and (too many) persimmon volunteers from the woods.

We also have a small orchard with blueberry, peach, apple, pear, plum, oriental persimmon (delicious!), fig, pawpaw and thornless blackberry, and pecan and hazelnut, plus alot of bareroot serviceberry. This is all in our native clayey soil without amendment.

I don't know if yours is pure clay, or more of a clay loam with more silt in it; there may be a difference. In Jackson Mississippi, we are at the thin edge of the loess deposit, a windblown silt deposited in the geologic Cretaceous age that is thick at the East edge of the Mississippi River and thins out as you go further east. That may be affecting our soil texture favorably.

Anyway, if you have pure clay, maybe you could use lasagna gardening and reduce work- I'm all for reducing work and weeding in gardening!!! ;-)

Good luck!
Susan