Landscaping Your NC Mountain Home With Native Plants

By Local Information June 10, 2020
Mountain Laurels, a native species of plants in the High Country of North Carolina.

I recently started reading Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard by Douglas W. Tallamy. I thought it might be a good time to share some ideas about how you can contribute to conserving the thing that we all love most about the High Country—it’s natural beauty.

Conserving High Country North Carolina’s Natural Beauty

The approach that Tallamy and many others suggest is to do when landscaping your yard is to make it a habitat for native species. Starting with plants, this can trickle down to providing an excellent place for all sorts of creatures to thrive.

North Carolina is home to huge number of beautiful plants, many of which can be used to create a beautiful space around your home. Unfortunately, most of what is popular in landscaping is non-native species, usually coming from Asia or Europe. Once introduced, they become naturalized and begin to take over or compete with precious space that has historically been home to native species. Some of the plants are even introduced to promote wildlife habitat, which sounds great, but the issue is that these species do exactly what they are intended to. Birds and other wildlife will disperse their fruit and seeds which allows them to spread rampantly.

Next time you are thinking of adding trees, grasses, flowers or bushes to your property, maybe take a minute and consider what native species you could use. Carolina Lupines, Northern Maidenhair Ferns, Dwarf Crested Irises, Rhododendrons, and Swamp Milkweed are just a few beautiful plants that can spruce up your yard and aid in conservation of important plants and animals at the same time. North Carolina State University has an excellent web resource that provides excellent information on why this sort of conservation is important, an extensive list of native plants (and even information give you full details on wildlife value, soil/light requirements and preferred region), how to landscape with these native plants as well as information on invasive species that you might want to avoid.

Be Social With Your Landscaping Around Boone, NC

If you decide to plant some native species in your yard please take a photo and tag us on any of our social media platforms, we’d love to re-post! ♥

About the Author
Corrinne Loucks, NC Broker/REALTOR® • 828-773-1615 • [email protected]

A Realtor® in Boone and the High Country since 2003, I am passionate about offering my clientele superior service, innovative marketing, and a highly personalized, boutique-style experience. Upon moving to Boone, I started my real estate career as an Investor and was Broker-In-Charge of my own firm. Since then, I have excelled with other real estate firms and built a strong network of client friends. Together with my network of real estate-related professionals, along with my Professional Home Staging business, we will polish your home buying/selling experience with your goals as a priority. 

I’ve lived all over the United States from the NE to the SE and California before landing in Boone, NC. You’ve seen the signs, “The mountains are calling, and I must go?” Well, that was me 21 years ago! I love bluegrass music and, it seems, many of the great pickers were born in NC with a guitar in their hands! I sing, play a little mandolin and keyboards, and can be found at outdoor festivals and concerts when I’m not showing property! I also participate in many of our area’s outdoor activities, from hiking and biking to kayaking- the New River is my summer home! Caring for the needs of High Country residents is also very important to me. I serve in many ways, from preparing and serving meals at the Hospitality House to School Events to Habitat for Humanity Home Builds. In addition, I am honored to serve our community as a Licensed Foster Parent and Certified Guardian ad Litem, advocating for children in the courtroom.

The High Country of North Carolina is unique, with sizeable second home and student populations driving much of the market. It’s important that you work with a Realtor® like myself who is experienced and educated in the area, guaranteeing our success together. The acronyms behind my Broker title are not just letters - they stand for something;

 GRI - Graduate of the Realtor Institute. Brokers holding this designation have completed 12 3-day courses over 2 years or more for in-depth training.

 ABR - Accredited Buyer's Agent. An (ABR®) designation means your Realtor® has made extra efforts to raise the bar with additional courses and proven experience in serving BUYERS.

 SFR - Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource Certification. Short sales and foreclosures are not for the faint of heart, and the courses I've taken arm me with the knowledge to assist clients in this area.

My business approach is founded on building lasting relationships based on commitment and trust, and much of my business comes from referrals from past clients. 

Make me Your Realtor of Choice, and work with someone you can trust to take your needs to heart and find the perfect property for YOU in the HIGH COUNTRY!