Home Prairie and Wetland Center
16245 S US Hwy 71
Belton, MO 64012
Tel: (816) 331-9738
Fax: (816) 331-9739

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a question about one of our products or how to use native plants effectively? We've developed a list of commonly asked questions and answers and categorized them so you can quickly find the information you need. If you don't find the answer to your question, please refer to the Resources section of our website or contact us at info@critsite.com.

Is there a growing demand for native plants and related services? What does the current market look like?

Missouri's native plant industry is thriving. A combined $63 million in native plant materials will be sold in the state in 2005. An additional $60 million will be sold in native plant services including crop services, design, installation and maintenance. The industry has experienced tremendous growth in the last ten years, and it is expected to grow at least 12% annually over the next ten years. Public conservation programs, as well as increased consumer and professional awareness of the benefits of native plant materials will fuel this growth.

Surprising to most people, the greatest demand for native plants presently is not associated with native landscapes for communities, homes or rural acreage. The industry has grown to meet the requirement of mitigation plantings with over 90% of Missouri's native plant production being used to satisfy this increasing demand. Mitigation obviously has several meanings, but in terms of development, land owners who disturb regulated environments, e.g., streams or wetlands, must either preserve and protect the natural resource within the proposed development, or alternatively must mitigate for their impacts. Mitigation is a legal requirement, administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency. At the state level, a similar type of mitigation is required by most departments of natural resources. In order to receive permits from the Army and DNR departments, environmental engineers and scientist perform detailed delineations, author numerous reports, and design a lot of mitigation areas.

Critsite specializes in local-source native plants and conservation products to meet this growing demand and to help increase the effective use of local-source native plants in all landscapes.