Why don’t we plant more natives?

The leaves are turning on the deciduous trees bringing a welcome blaze of colour to the garden.

Out on the farm the shelter belts are evergreens and exotic ones at that – mostly pines and another species the name of which always escapes me.

They do provide shade and shelter but I wonder why we use exotics when natives could do the job as well.

Pittosporums, for instance, grow quickly, are hardy, aren’t eaten by stock and might attract more native birds.