Native plants are plants that occurred naturally in a specific area, region, or habitat. They have evolved and adapted to that specific place.
Ornamental plants are from regions around the world and developed by the horticultural industry for display.
The rebate program encourages the use of native plants from our region in particular because native plants are adapted to our climate and have key relationships with native insects, birds, and mammals. Insects in particular need our native plants in order to complete their life cycles, having co-evolved with these plants for thousands of years. There are also many native plants well suited to the conditions found in LID features.
Ornamental plants are not inherently bad or without their place in Hamilton, but their introduction can have consequences. Most of the invasive plant species we have in Ontario came out of the horticulture industry. Invasive insects also have come over on ornamental plant materials. Lastly, because ornamental plants can come from all over the world, our native insects, birds, and mammals do not have co-evolutionary relationships with these plants, reducing their access to needed food and habitat sources. Therefore, we encourage the purchase of native plants for LID features for the rebate program. If you still have a favourite ornamental plant you would like to include in your LID design, this does not impact your application, however only native plants are eligible for potential rebate.