The Town is pleased to announce the release of the new online native plant database. The database is part of the Town’s Grow Native initiative launched last fall. This initiative is a community-wide effort to increase the use of native plants in landscaping projects across the island with an overall goal of improving wildlife habitat. Check out the new database by visiting
www.grownativekiawah.com
The database was designed to help promote the use of native plants on the island and serve as a resource for residents, landscapers, landscape architects, landscape designers, and other entities. This searchable database includes native trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, ferns, and grasses and allows users to filter and find plants based on a variety of criteria, including plant type, size, light requirements, soil requirements, flower color, salt tolerance, deer resistance, and more. There are currently 196 plants in the database, but the list will be expanded over time.
Why grow native?
• Native plants provide food and habitat for Kiawah’s wildlife inhabitants. They sustain pollinators vital for fruit production and provide high-quality food and shelter for 10 to 15 times as many species of wildlife as non-native plants.
• Native plants provide essential watershed protection, helping natural aquifers recharge, serving to filter water naturally flowing into rivers and estuaries, lessening erosion and flooding.
• Native plants are adapted to Kiawah’s local growing conditions and provide protection from flooding, storm surge, and saltwater intrusion. More specific information on the landscape adaptions section of the Flood Mitigation and Sea Level Rise Adaptation Report can be found at
www.kiawahisland.org/floodandsealevelrise
