Ferris Jabr

@ferrisjabr

NYT bestselling author of Becoming Earth (Random House) ✵ Contributing Writer, New York Times Magazine ✵ Gardener, baker, naturalist ✵ 🇱🇧🇺🇸🏳️‍🌈 ✵ Surname rhymes with neighbor ✵

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Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 16d

A Cooper’s hawk landed on our roof yesterday, the 2nd especially large & magnificent bird to grace our home, following the Great Blue Heron earlier this year. I believe this means we have been accepted by avian kind & officially initiated into HAWK: Human Allies of Winged Kreatures — a great honor.

Spliced photo of a great blue heron and Cooper’s hawk perched on a rooftop.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 18d

Crouching Gardener, Hidden Dragon

Series of four photos of a corner of a garden, progressively zooming in to one plant, which is eventually revealed as the perch of a gorgeous yet camouflaged dragonfly, primarily green with a red tail, blue flanks, transparent wings, and large gray eyes.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 21d

This week in the garden: Glittering green cuckoo wasp graces dried leaf Bumblebee traffic jam among the Nasturtium Astata wasp surveys domain from poppy perch Longhorn bee fits, thus sits

A sparkling green cuckoo wasp perched on dead vegetation

Bumblebee traffic jam: One already inside a yellow Nasturtium, the other coming in for a landing

Small longhorn bee nestled in a tiny daisy

Small glossy black wasp perched on a dried poppy seedhead

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 22d

Thank you. I agree 💯%. I love getting to know native plants and wildlife as individuals, neighbors, allies, and friends. In fact I was just marveling at the wild communities of native pearly everlasting, beach strawberry, lupine, and yarrow on a recent coastal walk — all part of my garden, too.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 22d

Four photos of towering rock formations, one of which is fairly isolated just off the shore, and sinuous sand dunes rolling down to the coast.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 22d

Four photos featuring a neon green anemone with tentacles splayed out, half buried in sand; small fish called sculpins that look like tiny leopard sharks; craggy white and yellow goose barnacles; and a chiton that resembles a giant pill bug plastered on a rock with armored plates that call to mind ancient creatures like trilobites.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 22d

Four closeup photos of tide pools, highlighting plump purple and orange sea stars clinging to rocks at low tide, as well as dozens of contracted chartreuse green sea anemones that look like the round, sagging bases of half-molten wine bottles.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 22d

With its magnificent monoliths, foggy forests, shapeshifting sand dunes, and teeming tide pools, the Oregon coast is one of my favorite places on Earth. Over the weekend, during low tide, some friends showed us their favorite spot to observe the soggy and spectacular cosmos of seashore life.

A collage of photos of the Oregon coast, featuring towering isolated rock formations, sinuous sand dunes, and an array of marine life, including sea anemones, barnacles, and sea stars.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 23d

Sometimes dragons deign to let you approach

Four close up photos of two different perched dragonflies, one red, one blue.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 23d

This was one of the most polarizing subjects I’ve ever covered, with reader reactions all over the map. Notably, the Bluesky community was by far the most reasonable and nuanced — you guys are awesome! In case you’re interested, my post on IG regarding the diversity of reactions and key points:

Screenshots from Instagram. Text reads:
“My @nytmag feature on the native plant movement is now in print (July 19 issue). Thank you so much to everyone who read and shared the story. It generated a big response: more than 26K likes on IG, more than 700 comments on the NYT website, a lot of reader emails — a truly spirited discussion. Plants provoke our passions.

It also proved to be one of the most polarizing subjects I’ve ever covered. Reactions were all over the map. Several big name writers I really respect told me how much they enjoyed and agreed with my essay, which meant a lot. Many readers commented that they appreciated the research, thoughtfulness, and balanced analysis, which helped them navigate this complex subject. But there were also far more extreme reactions, ranging from irate native plant enthusiasts who somehow got the utterly wrong idea that I’m completely against natives, with some even accusing me of being a shill for the horticultural industry, to anti-nativists who claim I was not nearly critical enough of a movement they equate with xenophobia and Puritanism.

For the record, I’d like to take a moment to restate and reemphasize a few key points:

-I support gardening with native plants. I honestly don’t understand how anyone could read my article in good faith and conclude otherwise. My essay explicitly advocates for prioritizing native species in our gardens to support wildlife and our local ecosystems and concludes with me doing exactly that….

-Just because native gardening alone cannot solve the extinction crisis does not mean it’s pointless — far from it. That passage was about maintaining perspective. I was writing in direct response to Tallamy’s hyperbolic claims that individual gardeners and homeowners alone can solve the extinction crisis and determine the future of nature in our country. I would love it if that were possible, but unfortunately it’s not. It’s vital to remember just how much more reform is needed to preserve biodiversity and functioning ecosystems across the continent. Nonetheless, as I wrote, gardening with natives has numerous genuine ecological benefits and banding together to create a Homegrown National Park is a thrilling and achievable goal that I fully support.

-There are valid ecological reasons to strategically incorporate a few non-invasive introduced species with proven benefits into majority native gardens. Some nativists claim that “there is never any excuse to plant a non-native.” That is an extreme stance that is not supported by science, is highly unrealistic for the majority of gardeners, and a poor strategy for our rapidly changing world. Some introduced species can expand habitat and resources for wildlife and help our gardens, parks, and other cultivated spaces adapt to climate change. I honestly do not think that intelligently integrating a few introduced species into primary native plantings should be controversial at all. We need open-minded, diverse, and flexible strategies to grow a better world together.

Gardening with natives, and for wildlife more generally, has benefits far beyond the ecological — it shifts people’s attitudes, renews a sense of agency, and inspires change. This is a point that many commenters raised with which I completely agree. I wish I’d had more room to write even more about the emotional and cultural aspects of gardening. I have personally witnessed neighbors change how they manage their land after seeing our garden here in Portland.

-Extremism within the gardening community is real. Many native enthusiasts get upset at the suggestion that there are purists among them, but if you want proof, just take a look at the comments here and on the NYT website, not to mention the legions of stories of gardeners who have been shamed by extremists. I can personally attest. After the article published, I experienced the unfounded wrath and abuse of such gardeners to a degree that shocked me. To be clear, I think such attitudes constitute a minority, albeit a vocal and problematic one. As I wrote, most people who support gardening with natives, especially professionals, are reasonable and nuanced, advocating for strategically combining natives and non-natives.

-To sum up: If you want your garden to support wildlife and your local ecosystems, then you should absolutely prioritize native plants, a conclusion supported by decades of research, careful observations, and basic ecological principles. But you don’t have to tear out or vilify absolutely everything that isn’t native. There are also legitimate ecological roles for a few beneficial introduced species. And you can have some plants just for you, too: veggies, medicines, gorgeous flowers, plants that hold memories, spark joy, or are otherwise meaningful to you. It doesn’t have to be one or the other, black or white, native or non-native. The world is big and complex and diverse enough for both.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 23d

Now in print. Thank you so much to everyone who read and shared the story — it generated a big response! More than 26K likes on Instagram, more than 700 comments on the NYT website, a lot of reader emails — a truly spirited discussion. Plants provoke our passions.

Photo of the quoted New York Times Magazine article on the native plant movement.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 26d

Yes! It’s surprising given their cultural associations, but they are so many beautiful, pollinating, often solitary wasps out there, most of which are small, not aggressive, and pose no serious threat. From my garden:

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 26d

Yes, so many pollinating flies out there! The hoverflies are especially important. Some are quite beautiful, too. A few photos of flies from my garden:

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 27d

It’s cloudy and drizzly and this adorable fuzzy longhorn bee is sheltering in a dahlia 🥹

A hot pink dahlia with spoke-like scooped petals and a bright yellow center.

A small fuzzy orange bee with very long antennae curled up near the center of the dahlia.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 27d

Clearing out the birdhouse in which the black-capped chickadees nested and successfully fledged. Absolutely PACKED floor to ceiling with a spongy, soft, highly compressible mattress of moss, plant fibers, and animal fur. Think of all the foraging required to make that!

A small suspended wooden birdhouse with a chickadee entering, tail still exposed.

Same birdhouse with door open, revealing nest.

Nest removed, revealing spongy tangle of moss, plants, and fur.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 28d

‘Scuse me! Coming through!

A metallic green sweat bee on a pink dahlia.

The same bee about to be dive bombed by a fuzzy orange Longhorn bee.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· 28d

Much of the time, I’m unimpressed with these supposedly intelligent algorithms that routinely offer me things in which I have little to no interest or overlook something I would absolutely love. Every now and then, though, they are almost eerily precise.

Screenshot of an automatically suggested search query on Instagram. Text reads: “Search: weird wasps and flies in nature”

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· Jul 13

Ever seen a twerking bee who looks like she just took a bath in a bowl of cheese puffs? Probably the superpollinator that is the leafcutter bee! Whereas honeybees pack moistened pollen into dense balls on their legs, leafcutters store it loosely across their fuzzy bellies. That means…

Closeup of a Leafcutter bee on a flower. Similar to a honey bee but covered in blonde fuzz.

Leafcutter bee arching her behind into the air, revealing thick yellow coating of pollen dust.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· Jul 13

I decided to try making one of the latest summer culinary fads: Sicilian watermelon pudding. Verdict: really good! Simple, light, tangy, highlighting an underused flavor. Also spotted some fresh blackcurrants at the store and made my version of Ribena. Perfect for seltzer and cocktails.

A white ramekin filled with pink watermelon pudding garnished with chopped pistachios and mint.

A glass bottle filled with plum-dark blackcurrant cordial.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· Jul 9

The black-capped chickadees that nested in our garden have successfully fledged! Despite daily surveillance, I unfortunately missed the moment of departure. Since then, however, they’ve visited the garden several times, looking extra bright and fluffy, as though freshly groomed.

Four photos of young black-capped chickadees. Small songbirds with gray plumage and black patches on their heads and necks, surrounding a stripe of white. They are perched on various trees branches.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· Jul 7

I’m already noticing a difference. I don’t remember ever seeing caterpillars in the garden before, yet in the past few months I’ve found several native caterpillars feeding and breeding here. New bee, wasp, and butterfly species are visiting. And chickadees chose to nest here.

A white-lined sphinx moth in the author’s garden. Large moth with white and red stripes and patches on grey brown wings.

Collage of chickadees bringing food to their nestlings. In each photo they have prey in their beaks, typical moths or spiders.

Collage of 25 native bee species photographed in the author’s garden.

A large bright green caterpillar on evening primrose, the larva of the white-lined sphinx moth.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· Jul 7

I'm not going to rip up 6 years of growth in my garden & start over. There are many introduced species I choose to keep. But I've also begun a long-term campaign to substantially increase the proportion of natives. So far I've integrated 7 compact native trees & shrubs and dozens of native flowers

A collage of plants native to the Pacific Northwest, including California poppy, cascara, Oregon crabapple, serviceberry, currant, Douglas Iris, strawberry, evergreen huckleberry, and geum.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· Jul 7

But that doesn't erase the fact that — typically because of our own blunders — some introduced species do become highly invasive. Ecological belonging is a meaningful concept on timescales relevant to our lives and communities. All life evolves with other life. Those relationships matter.

Text reads: "From a deep-time, planetary perspective, there is no distinction between native and non-native. All life is equally Earthly. All extant species are branches of a single ancient trunk. Every newborn island, freshly thawed sheet of bedrock or other novel biome must be populated with creatures whose histories lie elsewhere. On more relatable timelines, however, ecological belonging is a meaningful concept. Coevolution is not some rarefied process that occasionally spits out a few unusually codependent species. All species coevolve in networks in specific places, under certain conditions, over particular periods of time. The relationships they form with one another and their environments define their ecosystems.

Such communities are resilient to an extent, but if the most fundamental connections within them collapse too quickly, so will the systems as we know them. Promoting some plants over others does not mean we judge them to be inherently superior or the others to be wicked. Rather, it recognizes that different life forms are connected to each other in different ways. Certain species tend to reinforce and renew the ecosystems in which they take part, whereas others, through no fault of their own — and often because of our own blunders — may imbalance or exhaust them."

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· Jul 7

The science is persuasive. Decades of research, careful observations, and some basic ecological principles demonstrate that native plants really do support more local wildlife. The lynchpin of Tallamy's argument is the importance of coevolved relationships between plants, insects, and other animals:

Text reads: "Plants deter herbivores with an extensive apothecary of toxins, repellents and digestive inhibitors. In response, insects must develop countermeasures, like the ability to neutralize or sequester a particular class of compounds. The ensuing coevolution results in widespread dietary specialization. Around three-quarters of leaf-eating insect species in any given location on the globe are eating only plants within a single taxonomic family. In many cases, they are restricted to one or a few lineages within that broader group.

Insects, in turn, are perhaps the single most vital conduit of energy from plants to animals. Birds illustrate this point especially well. By Tallamy’s reckoning, nearly all terrestrial bird species in North America rely primarily on insects, in particular plump and nutritious caterpillars, to feed their young and maintain breeding populations. An average brood of six to eight chickadees demands 3,000 to 5,000 feedings over the 16 days from hatching to fledging, most of which will be caterpillars, other insects and spiders."

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· Jul 7

I was a bit skeptical, though. And I had questions. Despite the many foreign species in our garden, for example, we had already observed a lot of wildlife, including dozens of native bee species. I wanted to know just how much natives matter for wildlife and what the latest science had to say.

Two collages of photos of native bees arranged in grids. Some are tiny, dark, and glossy; others large and fluffy. Some are green and shiny, others yellow, orange, or red. All photos taken in the author's backyard.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· Jul 7

Six years ago, my partner and I ripped out all the grass on our property in Portland, Oregon and began creating a wildlife garden from the ground up. We included some Pacific Northwest natives, but we didn’t prioritize them, instead focusing on hardiness and bountiful blooms.

The same yard a couple years later, full of flowers.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· Jul 7

2/3 A couple weeks ago, in the same spot in the garden, I found a fat, happy, bright green caterpillar munching their way through an evening primrose: the larva of a white-lined sphinx moth! To be clear, I don’t think this is the same individual. Rather, I think sphinx moths like that spot because…

Large green caterpillar with yellow legs, black and red spots, and an orange horn, climbing up a plant stem.

Same caterpillar viewed from above, showing squiggly black patterns dotted with white and accented with blobs of yellow and red, somewhat reptilian in appearance.

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· Jul 7

1/3 WHOA! 😍 Just observed a white-lined sphinx moth flying through the garden for the first time! They’re also known as hawkmoths / hummingbird moths bc they’re so large that you could mistake them for a bird! By far the largest native moth to visit the garden. In fact, I think it’s breeding here! …

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· Jul 6

Indoctrinating the youth with a passion for all the vital little wild things

Photo of me leading two kids on a backyard bug tour

Ferris Jabr@ferrisjabr· Jul 5

Lately I’ve been encountering a lot of species I've never or rarely seen in the garden: weird and wonderful creatures that look like tiny dragonflies with the invertebrate version of scoliosis; or electric type Pokémon; or what happens when a moth and lobster are fused during a teleporter accident.