12Aug Native Plants – Flood Defense by sustainablesandhills Uncategorized In the final credits of hurricane Debby and the following storms, the North Carolina Sandhills region has been left, well, wet. Many residents are experiencing standing water on their properties as the water searches for somewhere to go.With flood mitigation efforts of our local municipalities noted, what can Sandhills residents do in the genre of resiliency and mitigation efforts in their yards? Have you considered native plants?An unsung hero in our landscapes and local ecosystems, native plants may be the standing water solution many residents are looking for. According to the Clean Water Education Partnership, “in regions with heavy clay soil, deep rooted native plants can break-up the soil better than typical varieties of lawn grass and improve clay soil’s permeability, ultimately acting as a green stormwater alternative. Trapping localized stormwater on site through the use of native plants can ensure percolation and increased filtration of nutrients entering the ground water.”Click here to learn more about native plants and flooding.Great news! But which plants are native and which aren’t? This topic is easy to ‘get in the weeds’ about. Luckily, there are a few very passionate organizations who have taken the guess work out of choosing which native plants would be best for your location, sunlight, and water frequency.One such organization is the North Carolina Native Plant Society. If you’re in the mood to shop for more resilient flood mitigation, click here to see their recommended list.