New law supports native plants in Ohio

Ohio’s at-risk bees just got a much needed boost when Ohio passed legislation promoting native plants, and making it much easier for citizens to support native pollinators. This bill, signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine, allows individuals, organizations and non-profits to collect and share native plant seeds with each other. The initiative was created to encourage more people to grow native plants, providing habitat for native species like our hard-working pollinators.

How will this help pollinators?

Prior to the passing of this bill, it was prohibited by law for noncommercial entities, including individual people, to share native plant seeds with each other. Once the bill goes into effect this April, communities all over Ohio can start removing invasive plant species and replacing them with Ohio native plants.

“This law removes outdated barriers to noncommercial seed-sharing, empowering Ohioans to take part in conserving pollinators and supporting native plant habitats,” said Ohio state Representative Roy Klopfenstein, one of the bill’s primary sponsors. This effort to increase native plants could not have come at a more critical time. Bees and other pollinators are dying at concerningly fast rates, with one quarter of native bee species in increasing danger of extinction.

The monarch butterfly, an iconic species native to Ohio and another pollinator facing extinction, is at risk because of its reliance on the native milkweed plant, the only food source for monarch caterpillars. By increasing native plants like milkweed, we may be able to restore this majestic, once common species back to its former glory.

This bill passed unanimously in both Ohio’s House and Senate, showing the widespread bipartisan support for native plants and pollinators. As we applaud Ohio’s state legislature, we look ahead to greater steps we can take to protect pollinators. We can all help by planting our own pollinator gardens, refraining from pesticide use and urging Congress to support the Building Native Habitat at Federal Facilities Act, so our pollinators can thrive across the country.