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We are here to help you along the way! Please email us if your question wasn't answered by our FAQs.
The mission of Native Plant Rescue of Southern Utah is to establish and cultivate plant and wildlife habitat restoration using collaborative, innovative, community-based, ecologically friendly, water-conscious and longitudinally sustainable living practices through supporting native plant landscape preservation and individual plant transplantation.
According to the Utah Commerce, Division of Corporations and Commercial Code:
Strict protocols are in place to remove native plants from public lands. Utah State has provided a comprehensive website to address this question and other concerns related to this process.
Utah State also lists how, when, and what native plants to collect for different Utah climates.
While Native Plant Rescue of Southern Utah partners with a variety of agencies, academia, and local businesses who are equipped to provide environmental assessments, including on-site assessments and native plant species surveys, we encourage our community to become familiar with the differences between invasive and native plants through community resources, and are constantly updating the following online links with quick access to some of this information.
Red Hills Desert Garden (St George, UT)
Range Plants List (Utah State University)
Desert Plants of Utah (Utah State University)
"Native and invasive plants in the desert southwest" (USGS)
"Discovery Series--Native Plants" (BLM)
Endangered, Threatened, or Critically Impaired Plants of the Intermountain Region (USDA--US Forest Service)
"Invasive Plants and Climate Change Will Alter Desert Landscapes" (eos.org)
Zion National Park Plant List (nps.gov)
Utah Native Plant Society (Kipp Lee - Horticulturist Specialist)
Currently the Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD) has limited available funding to help residents of Washington County change existing grass turf lawns to desert landscaping. It is best to consult with WCWCD prior to turf removal in order to see if you qualify to receive funding reimbursement. The State of Utah Water Savers program was designed as a financial incentive to help conserve water through grass turf lawn removal. More information can be found here.
A great quick overview from University of California on how to understand the needs of and prepare for transplanting native plants can be found here.
Native plants are desert hardy and slowly build root systems whenever there is rainfall. Unlike water-needy plants that are always in a state of faster growth, native desert plants will grow faster after bursts of rain, and grow much slower, or stop growing altogether, when there is no rainfall.
Native desert plants die from three common factors when being removed from their native space:
1). The plant was removed without it's full root system.
Many desert plants are actually 'root families', where it often appears there are several different plants spaced far apart from each other, underground they are actually sharing the same root system and technically a single plant. This is often common in creosote, sages, Indian Paintbrush, and other brush varieties.
Digging up and removing only one of these plants without keeping the mother plant is like trying to transplant an arm of the plant without the full body and the transplant will not be successful and results in the plant dying.
Younger plants tend to be easier to transplant because their full root system is still contained to a more accessible area, as opposed to older plants that have much wider spaces and extensive root systems, sometimes spanning in excess of hundreds of square feet.
It is important to work with someone educated in native plants to be able to identify the 'body' of the plant root system in order for a successful transplant.
2). The plant was transplanted correctly, but was overwatered and drowned post-transplant.
Because native plants need watering that mimics a typical desert rainfall, it is easy to overwater and drown a native plant if you're used to providing more water to thirstier non-native plants. The only watering that needs to occur post-transplant is based on the species of plant, the water table of the new habitat, and minimal disturbance to the new habitat with the minimum amount of water needed to encourage growth and prevent drowning the plant.
Cacti are extremely drought hardy and will drown if given too much water. Familiarize yourself with the type of plants you are interested in having in your yard and be prepared to adjust your watering habits to fit the needs of the new landscaping. You'll have a higher success rate and a happier plant!
3). Soil transplanted into was either too rocky, not sandy enough, or the area was disrupted post-transplant.
Desert plant habitats are terrain based. Rocky habitats that do not typically experience disturbance result in plants that have a shallower root system, whereas species that grow in sandy habitats may have a root system that digs deeper in order to anchor it in place as blown sand changes the topography.
It is important to make sure the new habitat is undisturbed while the new root system grows. As native desert plants take longer to grow, it is important to be patient with your plant as it adapts to its new home, though once the root system is established, it will thrive and grow.
Knowing the needs of the plant means knowing what it's native habitat is and providing transplantation space that is conducive to these needs. Planting sage in rocky areas may not be as successful as planting in sandy areas. Planting native flowers that have shallower roots in rocky beds may be an excellent alternative to traditional flower bed topsoil.
For more ideas check with the resources listed below:
The process can be daunting without guidance, so know you're not alone. Native Plant Rescue of Southern Utah came into being for exactly this reason--to help community members connect with resources and provide guidance in taking the step towards an eco-friendly landscape.
1) We recommend all citizens of Washington, Iron, and Kane counties contact the WCWCD to see what financial help you may qualify for. While the City of Hurricane isn't currently participating in the Water Savers program, it is still encouraged that Hurricane residents apply and also email their local city council members.
2) Know your options and do some research.
Artificial turf may be an attractive option for smaller yards, however it is financially expensive and harmful to the environment because it is produced from plastics. Artificial turf typically needs periodic replacement, and also increases yard temperature. Living in the desert with high temperatures and almost year-round sun exposure (grass turf and native plants decrease yard temperatures) are high priority factors to consider. A great article about the pros and cons of artificial turf is found here in The New York Times.
Gravel is often used as a turf replacement, though is typically lacking in aesthetic appeal, is not as eco-friendly, and can be high-maintenance if used in areas with children and pets.
Non-native desert plants are often used in southern Utah landscaping as an alternative to more thirsty trees and it is common to see palm trees in the St George region. While palm trees may tolerate the heat well, the winters often bring freezing temperatures that result in dead branches or trees that need removal if plants aren't properly protected.
There are also non-native desert plants from other areas in the desert southwest that thrive in our temperatures and unique topography. Red Hills Garden features many native and non-native plants that are excellent landscaping options.
3) Once you've identified your current landscaping style, please familiarize yourself with options graciously provided here by the Utah State University.
You are always welcome to contact our team for help figuring out your personal steps in the native plant transplantation process that is right for you, your home, business, and community!
The EPA has a great introductory video that talks about native plant restoration found here.
Located in Tucson, Arizona, the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society has been extremely successful with their decades-spanning operation of rescuing and transplanting specific native plants as xeriscaping options. Their story can be found here. An educational video depicting examples of their rescue missions is available here. A depiction of TCSS's native desert gardens native to the area is found here.
The North American Native Plant Society has scheduled plant rescue operations and protocol found here.
The Indiana Native Plant Society also has a native plant rescue project with information located here.
The Georgia Native Plant Society has plant rescue setup as a community effort with information found here.
The Native Plant Rescue Squad is another native plant organization designed to help preserve and rescue native plants in East Tennessee with their story found here.
We are always looking for stories of local communities striving to conserve water and native plants. If you know of someone breaking ground in new ways, please share their information and we will add them to this list!
Habitat assessment is the process of evaluating the quality and suitability of a particular habitat for a specific species or group of species, with the goal of identifying ways to improve or restore the habitat
Habitat restoration is the process of improving or creating habitats for wildlife that have been degraded or destroyed by human activities. This may involve removing invasive species, planting native vegetation, and creating or restoring wetlands, forests, or other habitats.
A wildlife survey is an assessment of the presence and abundance of wildlife in a specific area, typically conducted to inform land management decisions or to comply with environmental regulations.
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