Not so many years ago, relative to the history of horticulture, even a now-ubiquitous phrase like “pollinator plant” wasn’t part of our everyday gardening language and mindset the way it is today. Our collective consciousness about the importance of native plants has grown fast, and with it have come more new words for our vocabulary.  

One phrase that I’ve heard a lot lately is “keystone plants” – an expression I probably didn’t even know five years ago –  describing native species that are disproportionately important to local ecosystems, the sort of powerhouse plants of all.

I wanted to learn more about just what keystone plants are, and which ones belong in my garden and why, and Uli Lorimer, director of horticulture at Native Plant Trust, is here to help explain all that.  

Uli is the director of horticulture at Native Plant Trust in New England,  and he also writes the “Ask the Gardener” column for “The Boston Globe.” He has devoted his career to native plants, and I am so glad to welcome him back to the program today.

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