The $27 billion State Employees' Credit Union in Raleigh, N.C.,has partnered with the North Carolina Botanical Gardens andarchitects O'Brien Atkins to develop landscaping templates for SECUbranches using only North Carolina native plants.

The idea was suggested by SECU member Tom Earnhardt, who is also the mastermind behindthe award-winning program, Exploring North Carolina,which airs on local Raleigh PBS station WUNC-TV.

“Few places on this planet have the extraordinary diversity ofplants found here in North Carolina, from the spruce-fir forests in our mountains tolive oaks and palm trees on our Southeastern coast,” Earnhardtsaid. “It's always seemed strange to me that some businesses, andeven towns, often plant the same non-native trees over and overagain. As a member of State Employees' Credit Union, Iwas not at all surprised when the financial institution with thebest member service in the state also agreed that itshould look like North Carolina. Kudos to SECU for showcasingnative trees, shrubs and flowers found in the regions where itsbranches are located. This is just another way in which SECU isleading the way.”

Vegetation native to North Carolina include plants such as blackcohosh, trailing wolfsbane, yellow buckeye and pussy toes.

SECU representatives recently met with Earnhardt and officialsfrom O'Brien Atkins and the botanical gardens to discuss theinitiative, which will include demonstration projects at new SECUbranches in each of North Carolina's three geographicalregions—mountains, piedmont and coastal plains.

“As a North Carolina cooperative, we look to promote andencourage projects that benefit our State and its citizens,” saidDavid King, a director on SECU's board. “This initiative will allowSECU to help NC-based nurseries, while stimulating local jobs andthe economy. We look forward to working with our partnergroups to go native with the SECU landscape.”

Dot Hinton, senior vice president of facilities services, saidin addition to supporting locally-based businesses, the use ofnative landscapes will provide a greater chance of plant survival,thus reducing the costs of landscaping maintenance.

“We appreciate Mr. Earnhardt for suggesting this idea. Thepositive effects of this effort will be seen and felt statewide,”Hinton said.