At Sweet Pepper Ranch we have a hedgerows of native plants as a wind and dust barriers and as an attractive visual boundary. | Photo: Alayne Blickle

For most of the country fall is the ideal time to plant all kinds of things from cool-season veggies, turf grasses and perennials to both evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs. Yet, strangely, when it comes to planting many of us only think of spring. And not many of us horse owners realize how helpful native trees and shrubs can be on a horse property.

I am a huge fan of using native plants on horse properties. People, wildlife, horses, and the environment all benefit from a landscape of native plants. Native plants are those that have evolved over thousands of years in a particular region. They have adapted to the geography, hydrology and climate and have co-evolved with animals, insects, fungi and microbes. These plants are the foundation of our natural ecosystems. As a result, a community of native plants provides habitat for a variety of native wildlife species such as songbirds and butterflies.

Logging, farming, ranching and development have led to a tremendous loss of native vegetation and, as a result, a loss of critical wildlife habitat. Enhancing our horse properties with native plants not only promotes native wildlife, it also helps to control erosion, provides a visual buffer and filter chemicals and nutrients