At the urging of local residents and conservation groups, the Greensboro City Council adopted a policy to promote the use of native plants and elimination of invasive plants at City-owned facilities.

Native plants help maintain, restore and protect the health and biodiversity of local ecosystems, supporting native pollinators, birds and other wildlife. Native plants often require less maintenance, in addition to being part of the historical and cultural heritage of the community. Invasive plants disrupt the native ecosystems and displace native plants and animals.

“The Community Sustainability Council (CSC) is mindful of our City's ambition to revitalize our City's green spaces with native plants, flowers, shrubs, and trees that reflect the beauty of our state and region,” said A. Nicole Gaines, co-chair of the CSC. “It is a teachable moment for our communities that the natural North Carolina ecological footprint is thriving!” 

The policy is triggered when the City installs new or replacement plant materials in outdoor landscaped areas of City-owned or maintained sites or facilities. It calls for the City to use at least 50 percent seeds and plants classified as native to North Carolina or the southeastern United States by 2025. In the future, a native plant list specific to Guilford County will be developed.

The policy prevents the City from planting species identified as invasive by the NC Native Plant Society and NC Invasive Plant Council.

The policy does not apply to private property. It allows for non-native turf grass for athletic fields and lawns, edible plantings like fruit trees or vegetables, and species used for soil and water remediation, the feeding of zoo animals, or educational purposes at a botanical garden.

For more information about native and invasive plants, visit the NC Native Plant Society’s recommended species list or the USDA plants database.