Choose a tree that grew there naturally before. By growing original plants you create an ecosystem that provides housing and food for native insects, birds, amphibians, mammals and reptiles. It will attract original animal species that evolved to live on that particular piece of ground. This also means your tree will grow easily because it is pre adapted to the microclimate and soil conditions that it grows in.  This translates to less work for you such as less watering. Original plants are known as provenance plants.

For a thriving tree, it is best to grow seedlings germinated from plants currently growing as close to your patch of ground as you can. If you can’t raise the seedlings yourself or convince a nursery or farmer to help you, then try and choose identical species from nurseries with stock sourced within the local region.

To resurrect an intricate ecosystem, choose a few of the dominant local tree species and a few understory species that once grew there. This will provide the structure for the ecosystem to grow from.  Birds may spread additional types of local seeds over time.  As your ecosystem expands and grows denser you may notice an increase in diversity of animal species visiting and inhabiting it. The number of animals should increase too.

If you are not sure which area to start on and you have more than one vegetation community on your land, begin at the closest interface of them. Begin planting one vegetation community plus the second community next to it simultaneously if you can.  This will provide resources to a higher diversity of native species than what live in just the one habitat type.

You may have only a balcony. Choosing a true native from your local area to grow in a pot will create habitat for local insects and may even entice nearby original bird species to feed or perch from it.

Street trees, verges of roads, degraded land and development sites are excellent opportunities to provide habitat for animals that originally lived in an area. Birds flying through suburbs use trees to rest, feed and nest. If the original provenance trees and bushes grow throughout a suburb, this helps the original bird species that live close-by rather than other native but non-local types. For instance, growing native grevillieas along streets and in gardens where they never grew naturally can encourage the non-local wattlebird honeyeater to dominate. This bird species can be highly aggressive to other birds.

If you cannot identify the plant species growing nearby, you can use a plant ID App that allows identification from photos, or send photos preferably with fruiting bodies or flowers to a botanist, local land care or gardening group to help you.

If most of the land near you has been cleared, you may need to hunt around your local area to find the nearest natural remnants of original vegetation. Look for changes in geology as this is usually reflected in vegetation differences. You’ll want to match the same remnant vegetation to the geology and soil type on your land. Old photographs can help with identifying what grew before clearing occurred. Your local library may have historical books showing photographs of vegetation for your area.

So next time you ask yourself what tree do I plant?  By choosing true original natives and resurrecting your natural ecosystem, you have the power to provide homes and food for a flourishing community of native animals and plants. This goes a long way to caring for our planet.

Have a look at my article; Fencing off farm land to grow ecosystems for biodiversity, if you’d like information about that topic.

If you’d like more information about resurrecting ecosystems, have a look at Methods for Resurrecting Ecosystems.

Or you can read stories about my connection to the land. One is titled Minimal Me.

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