Winter is a wonderful time to appreciate just what visitors come to our great state for: our rugged landscape artfully decked out in pointed firs, wispy-topped pines and looming oaks. The land and the native plants, from the ground cover bunchberry to the tallest pines make Maine special.

In the bulletin “Gardening to Conserve Maine’s Landscape: Plants to Use and Plants to Avoid,” Dr. Lois Berg Stack, an ornamental horticulture specialist at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, notes that Maine’s geological and climatic characteristics all contribute to the rich native plant diversity we enjoy.

“Maine’s landscape is famous for its variety,” Stack explains. “Within the state one can find ocean beaches, lakes, rivers, mountains and forests. Maine is locally influenced by both coastal and inland weather patterns. This creates relatively mild areas and areas that are almost arctic within the state’s 300-mile length and 200-mile width. Marine rises from sea level to over 5,000 feet in elevation at the top of Mount Katahdin. This wide range of elevation results in a diversity of habitats, including flat sandy plains, rolling hills, rounded summits and craggy mountains with sheer cliffs. Maine’s forests vary from spruce and fir near the coast, to hardwoods in the western and northern hills. More than 100 types of habitats have been identified with about 1,500 native plant species spread across the state’s varied landscape.”

Growing native plants has, for some, is synonymous with horticultural conservation. Some non-native plant species introduced into gardens over time have resulted in extensive and difficult to control colonies of invasive plants such as loosestrife and Japanese barberry.

“One long-term effect of invasive non-native species is to degrade habitat for native plants and animals,” Stack notes. “These plants choke out native vegetation, diminish the availability of food plants for wildlife and alter the behavior of native animals such as pollinators, plant-eating insects and fruit-eating birds. Unchecked, invasion by non-natives could drive some species to extinction. This is why non-native plants are a major concern to people who want to protect native species and natural areas.”

Donald J. Leopold, a Distinguished Teaching Professor in the College of Environmental Science and Forestry at State University of New York in Syracuse, recently penned “Native Plants of the Northeast: A Guide for Gardening and Conservation.” It is a must-have for any gardener wishing to learn more about indigenous plants and interested in preserving the balance of native plants on their property.

Part of the charm of this 308-page reference is the text’s organization: “I have written this book in a style that is most useful to me,” Leopold writes, “I like to browse, and when I see something I like, I want to know immediately how to grow it without wading through pages of extraneous material.”

The result is a beautifully designed, easy-to-navigate, 500-color photo, collection of native plants, both woody and herbaceous. Ferns, grasses, wildflowers, vines, shrubs and trees each have separate sections in the hardcover book. The encyclopedic portion of the book includes practical advice on cultivation and propagation in addition to descriptions, ranges, and information on hardiness. Appendices list plants that tolerate wet soil, dry soil and shade. Listings of flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies, and plants with fruits that attract birds and mammals are included, as well.

It may be said that no other single volume on native plants has such comprehensive horticultural coverage. Nearly 700 species of native plants from the northeastern quarter of the United States and all of eastern Canada are included. Of course, the natural ranges of many of the plants extend beyond this area, but the book is an excellent, complete reference for habitat restoration and enhancement of biodiversity for the sake of conservation here in northern New England.

Native Plants is written from the unique perspective of an author who has professional credentials in horticulture, botany, forestry, and ecology as well as practical experience – something every gardener can appreciate. Information about native plants can also be found at no charge at www.umext.maine.edu. Alternatively, contact your local University of Maine Cooperative Extension office for a listing of available publications.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, 512 North Ridge Road, Montville 04941 or e-mail dianagc@midcoast.com. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.