It’s year three of watching your new native garden bloom – but wait, where are all the Black-eyed Susans, Partridge Pea, and Yarrow? They stole the show for the first few years while your other slower-establishing species were getting ready to take their place in your new landscape.
What you’re witnessing is a natural and important part of your garden’s evolution.
These early bloomers are called pioneering species.
Pioneering species are the first to colonize and make themselves known. In those early years, they helped suppress weeds, stabilize the soil, and begin building healthy underground networks that support more diverse plant communities.
By year three, many of those slower-to-grow perennials like Little Bluestem, Purple Coneflower, and Wild Bergamot begin to emerge and take up more space. They’ve been quietly investing in their roots, and now, it’s their turn to shine. Meanwhile, your pioneering species may still pop up here and there, just not with the same overwhelming presence as before.
Your garden isn’t the only place you’ll notice pioneering species. The regrowth after a forest fire is often brimming with early establishing species such as ferns and mosses. They have rhizomes tucked safely beneath the earth’s surface, safe from the heat, giving them a head start once the fire has passed.
So, when you spot a single Black-eyed Susan waving at you from a now-diverse sea of grasses and blooms, give it a nod of appreciation. These pioneers did the hard work. They kickstarted your native garden and laid the foundation for what’s now becoming a rich, resilient habitat.
To learn more about how your prairie evolves over the years, check out this blog post.