Beyond the Orchard: Why Every Fruit Grower Should Be Planting Natives

Sam Menne
2026-04-08T11:00:05-04:00

Learn how to make the most out of your orchard with our favorite native perennials. Give back to your soil, pollinators, and more with these low-maintenance native powerhouses.

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Your Orchard Needs Support

Fruit trees don’t exist in isolation. They rely on pollinators, soil life, moisture retention, and a balanced ecosystem to truly thrive.

When you plant natives alongside your orchard, you’re building that support system from the ground up.

Think of it as planting for the whole system, not just the harvest.

What That Looks Like in Practice

Plant pollinator favorites like bee balm, anise hyssop, and coneflowers to bring in beneficial insects early and keep them around. Add late-season bloomers like asters and goldenrod to carry pollinators through fall.

Work in native grasses like little bluestem or shade-tolerant bottlebrush grass to anchor your system. Grasses build deep root structures that hold soil, improve water infiltration, and create habitat at ground level. They’re one of the most overlooked pieces of a resilient planting.

Got shade? Don’t leave it empty. Shade-tolerant natives like Jacob’s Ladder, wild blue phlox, and ferns thrive in those cooler understory spaces beneath trees, helping retain moisture and soften the landscape while still supporting pollinators.

And for long-term soil health, start thinking about nitrogen-fixing plants. Species like wild indigo (Baptisia) quietly improve soil fertility over time, feeding the system naturally and reducing the need for outside inputs.

Marvelous Mountain Mints

Mountain mints are some of the best pollinator plants you can add to an orchard system, attracting a wide range of beneficial insects while helping support overall balance in the landscape.

And despite the name, they won’t take over your garden like peppermint. These are well-behaved native perennials with aromatic, soft, silvery foliage and long-lasting blooms that quietly do a lot of work, although intentional planting is still recommended.

Plant them in sun or shade, along edges or throughout your orchard to boost pollinator activity and biodiversity with very little effort.

Why Natives Matter More Than Ever

Weather is getting less predictable. Earlier springs, longer dry spells, sudden heavy rains, later frosts, and the like.

Native plants are built for your soil, your rainfall patterns, your climate swings. That means less input once established, better drought tolerance, and stronger root systems that hold both soil and water in place.

This is how you build a landscape that can handle change.

Pollinators Follow the Food

If you want fruit, you need pollinators.

Native perennials provide continuous blooms from early spring through fall, creating a steady food source instead of a single flush. That’s how you keep pollinators on your land, not just passing through.

Even a small patch of natives can dramatically increase activity in your orchard and improve overall yield.

Start Planting

Our native perennial collection includes pollinator favorites, structural grasses, shade-loving plants, and soil-building species ready to support your orchard from the ground up.

If you’re already planting fruit trees, this is your next step.

Build the system that supports the harvest. Shop native perennials and start feeding your orchard from the ground up.