Your local university cooperative extension and native plant society can be great starting points when researching native plants.
The resources listed here can help identify which plant species are native to your region or state along with their ideal growing conditions. Some resources also help identify which plants are invasive and should be avoided.
“The PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories. It includes names, plant symbols, checklists, distributional data, species abstracts, characteristics, images, crop information, automated tools, onward Web links, and references.”
“Using data based on the research of Dr. Doug Tallamy, you can search by zip code to find plants that host the highest numbers of butterflies and moths to feed birds and other wildlife where you live.”
“By picking native plants that suit local conditions, you can reduce or eliminate the need for fertilizers, pesticides and watering. You can find native plants with the same shape, color, size or other characteristics as some of your favorite non-native plants to create attractive and more natural landscapes right in your own yard.”
“This publication includes color photos as well as user-friendly information on native species appropriate for planting in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and adjacent coastal regions.”
“The site is dedicated to the enjoyment of the thousands of wildflowers growing on our national forests and grasslands, and to educating the public about the many values of native plants.”
“This site provides lists and information for species declared invasive, noxious, prohibited, or otherwise harmful or potentially harmful. Information is organized by geographical location, covering the U.S.”
Homegrown National Park – “A grassroots call-to-action to restore biodiversity and ecosystem function by planting native plants and creating new ecological networks. The map is an interactive community-based visual that will show each person’s contribution to planting native by State, County and Zip Code. There will be a gauge showing progress towards our goal of 20 million acres of native planting in the U.S. Importantly, the map is a way for individuals to see their part in the greater whole – creating new ecological networks and restoring biodiversity.”
National Wildlife Foundation, Certify Your Garden – “Anyone can create a welcoming haven for local wildlife. Turning your yard, balcony container garden, schoolyard, work landscape, or roadside greenspace into a Certified Wildlife Habitat® is fun, easy, and can make a lasting difference for wildlife.”
“Pollinator Partnership’s mission is to promote the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research.” You can find Ecoregional Planting Guides as well as Garden Cards to help plan your native garden, in addition to other valuable gardening resources.
This short, free e-book is an excellent guide to designing a small garden using native plants.
“The site is dedicated to the enjoyment of the thousands of wildflowers growing on our national forests and grasslands, and to educating the public about the many values of native plants.”
“Veteran Compost is a veteran-owned business focused on turning food scraps into high quality organic compost in Maryland, DC and Virginia. We provide food scrap collection, finished compost, and a host of other great products.”
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