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Native plants have formed symbiotic relationships with native wildlife over thousands of years, and therefore offer the most sustainable habitat. A plant is considered native if it has occurred naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, or habitat without human introduction.
Exotic plants that evolved in other parts of the world or were cultivated by humans into forms that don’t exist in nature do not support wildlife as well as native plants. Occasionally, they can even escape into the wild and become invasive exotics that destroy natural habitat.
Native plants help the environment the most when planted in places that match their growing requirements. They will thrive in the soils, moisture and weather of your region. That means less supplemental watering, which can be wasteful, and pest problems that require toxic chemicals. Native plants also assist in managing rain water runoff and maintain healthy soil as their root systems are deep and keep soil from being compacted.
A balanced Certified Wildlife Habitat supports food, water, cover, and places to raise young for wildlife with a goal of 50-70% native plants that provide mulit-season bloom and are free of neionicotinoids.
Native Plant Collections Shipped to Your Door
Add one of our Garden for Wildlife native plant collections to your garden to help save birds, bees, butterflies, and more. Get chemical-free plants that bloom for three seasons and return every year. Collections are backed by science to help the highest number of declining wildlife species.
Now available for 38 states with free shipping. Get yours today!
We currently offer native plants in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Midwest. Our goal is to expand our network of growers and offer native plants for everyone.
Native Plant Finder
Bring your garden to life! Enter your zip code to discover the best native plants, attract butterflies and moths, and support birds and other fauna Native Plant Finder is an indispensable tool, based on the research of Dr. Douglas Tallamy of the University of Delaware and in partnership with the United States Forest Service.
Check out the presentation by Dr. Doug Tallamy, Nature’s Best Hope, and be inspired by his call to action that supports our Garden for Wildlife vision: To revolutionize the way people garden and landscape to benefit wildlife and communities.
Discovering the native plants where you live can also define a unique sense of place and heritage for your garden habitat while preserving the natural history of the flora and fauna of your region.
Root systems of Non-Native vs. Native Mid-Atlantic Plants. Source: Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
From the pages of National Wildlife® magazine:
Native, or Not So Much? Native plants transformed into flashy “nativars” may look pretty, but are they good for wildlife?
