A bee flies near New England aster blossoms Sept. 18, 2018, along Civic Center Drive in Augusta. The flowers are noninvasive perennials that are native to Maine. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal file

AUGUSTA — A proposed ban on non-native plants from being planted on city property is meant to help the native insects and other critters that dine on native plants recover and thrive and thus, in turn, become food for the many Maine animals higher on the food chain.

The Augusta Conservation Commission is working on a policy that would require plantings on city property, such as parks and areas surrounding city buildings, to be species of plants native to the region.

The goal is to improve the environment and the abundance and health of native animals by increasing the amount of native plants available to them as food sources, while also fighting against invasive species of plants, according to Aaron Sienkiewicz, the chairman of the commission.

“As we’ve developed the city we, like any other city, we’ve removed native plants, the native species that were here when we started to build,” Sienkiewicz told the Augusta City Council last Thursday. “What we’ve done is often replace them with non-native species, which our native insects can’t eat, and therefore their food availability goes way down. And there’s been a lot of talk about bringing back pollinators, but there’s a much larger conversation to be had there with regard to insects eating it.

“And then, of course, the animals that eat those insects, the birds, mammals and reptiles and all that. So by planting the native plants, we give that all back to those insects, for a much bigger volume biomass they could eat. By creating little islands on city-owned property where these plants are, we start to enhance our ecosystem a little bit more. Which is not only better for the ecosystem, but it can be better economically as well.”

The proposed policy includes exceptions for annual plants, such as flowers, lawns and sports fields, and food-producing plants. It would not apply to what anyone grows on private property — residential or commercial — in Augusta. Commission members said Augusta would likely be the first municipality in the Kennebec region to adopt such a policy.

City councilors expressed support for the idea, though several had questions and concerns, including whether enough native plants are readily available to be bought and planted, are more expensive and having exclusively native plants, other than the listed exceptions, could make for city grounds that are more bland, less colorful or less beautiful.

Gary Fish, the Maine state horticulturist and a former resident of Augusta, said costs vary from plant to plant, and while some native plants may be more expensive because they are more difficult to propagate, sometimes non-native plants cost more than native plants. He said as more nurseries offer native plants, the prices should come down. He also said the availability of some native plants might be a problem.

Fish said some native plants may be “less showy” than some non-native plants, but there are many native options that are attractive.

Scott Longfellow, the co-owner of Longfellow’s Greenhouses at 81 Puddledock Road in Manchester, said the business’ sales of native plants are increasing and have likely doubled over the past five years. He said finding native plants can be difficult, but there is an increasing amount of them.

“We can get natives, (but) I wouldn’t say easily,” Longfellow said. “Some are quite hard to acquire, but we are able to source them from many nurseries. I can probably get some of that stuff from the west coast.

“Even though it’s grown in Oregon, it’s still a native species to Maine, so I don’t think finding that product will be that difficult. There will be some hiccups along the way, but overall it is available, and we are increasing our availability at our garden center. Every year, we bring on more.”

Augusta resident Don Sproul, the executive director of the Maine Landscape & Nursery Association, said if a larger market for native plants develops, providers would adapt and add more of the products for sale.

Mayor Mark O’Brien said it was clear there was support for moving forward with the proposal, with some changes discussed by councilors. He suggested members of the the Augusta Conservation Commission take what they heard, make appropriate changes and, when ready, bring the proposal back before a business meeting for a vote by city councilors.