Yet landscapes designed solely to put food into our mouths result in the further loss of winged wildlife. A better way to reimagine our public spaces is through the multifaceted eyes of insects, the original locavores.

The foodies among us will note that sassafras, a local woodland tree, is the source of root beer. But its true gift to us is the gorgeous spicebush swallowtail. The caterpillars of this native butterfly are picky eaters. They feed on the leaves of sassafras, spicebush and closely related woody plants. This butterfly, which is also a pollinator, is not able to survive on cultivated plants like peaches and cherries.

Most commercial fruit trees, and food crops for that matter, hail from other ports of call. A monoculture of exotic imports offers little nourishment for our wild neighbors. But plants that have been here for thousands of years are in constant communication with insects. A chemical cue here, a flash of color there, so goes the ecological dance in which native pollinators and other insects participate.

A study published early this year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that bumblebees preferred to forage at sites with a greater variety of plants and more floral choices. They would like our landscapes to look more like diverse natural meadows than single-species farm fields.

Such considerations are paramount in cities, where open space is in short supply. Urban activists should celebrate the indigenous wildflowers that sustain our pollinators beyond the short life span of fruit tree blossoms. In addition, we should incorporate native edibles into the planting palette. Blueberries, Juneberries and beach plums feed more species than just us humans.

Here is what you will not see in a vista full of fruit trees: a surge of migrating monarchs, a dizzying constellation of wild bees, the swoop of songbirds that feed on them. These natural phenomena still occur in cities, but have been marginalized. They should be reclaimed and put center stage in our public spaces. To do this, we need urban oases filled with native plants.

With all we are continually discovering about the world around us, let’s not limit ourselves to supporting only what directly fills our stomachs. A rich natural environment also provides what is on our plates, while nurturing our heads and our hearts, too.