April 2024: Native Plant Month

WHEREAS, native plants are indigenous species that have evolved alongside native wildlife and occur naturally in a particular geographic region, ecosystem, and habitat; and,

WHEREAS, native plants are essential for healthy, diverse, and sustainable ecosystems and are critical for cleaning air, filtering water, and stabilizing soils; and,

WHEREAS, native plants are well-adapted to Michigan’s soils, temperatures, precipitation, and environmental conditions, making them the best option for conserving and protecting our environment, and adapting to its changes; and,

WHEREAS, native plants provide food including nectar, pollen, seeds, and foliage for native birds, caterpillars, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife in ways that non-native plants cannot; and,

WHEREAS, Michigan is home to more than 1,800 native plant species which include large shade trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, grasses, and wildflowers; and,

WHEREAS, some of Michigan’s rarest plants are federally listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and include: Michigan Monkey-Flower, Dwarf Lake Iris, Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid, and Pitcher’s Thistle; and, 

WHEREAS, it is important to encourage public awareness about the benefits of Michigan’s native plants to pollinators and other wildlife, to the economy, and the health and sustainability of Michigan’s fragile ecosystems;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim April 2024 as Native Plant Month in Michigan.