I thought it would be nice to share links that anyone has found that encourage the use of native plants in our landscapes. It's that time of year when people start selecting and purchasing plants for their butterfly, hummingbird, and wildlife gardens and there's nothing better for North American Fauna than North American Flora.
Here's a site I found that I enjoyed-
http://www.epa.gov/greenacres/nativeplants/factsht.html
Another favorite is the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
http://www.wildflower.org/
Love this site-
http://www.chiwild.org/
http://www.chicagowilderness.org/wildchi/landscape/index.cfm
Of course there is WildOnes-
http://www.for-wild.org/
National WildLife's eNature-
http://www.enature.com/native_invasive/
National Wildlife's Backyard Wildlife Habitat-
http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/nativeplantguide.cfm?
The Nature Conservancy-
http://www.nature.org/CFID=3224364&CFTOKEN=fae68fc94334db5f-0D23935F-928D-B236-6FB4BABCF273EE7C
Links to sites that promote native plants
Bovees rare plants
http://www.bovees.com/comp%20plant%20for%20cat%200304_doc.htm
Specific Rim
Yankees pay $12 for a phytosanitary certificate.
http://www.hillkeep.ca/plantsindex.htm
Rare Find rare
http://www.rarefindnursery.com/index.cfm/action/rareplants.htm
Rare Find shrubs some of which are rare
http://www.rarefindnursery.com/index.cfm/action/cdp/level/3.htm
Rhododendron Species Foundation.
They have the west coast Azalea R. occidenale, and all of the eastern wild Azaleas. Also natives of Canada http://www.rhodygarden.org/page/page/1083572.htm
Huge collection, some not available any where else.
http://www.colvoscreeknursery.com/pricelist.pdf
Hey UUallace,
Not exactly what I had in mind because I saw some hideously invasive plants being offered for sale at some of those sites. Yes, they had some nice native plants but pretty much all of your links were nurseries and they weren't exactly encouraging the use of native plants in our landscapes. I lost count of how many plants were being sold that were from Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and Africa. It's real hard for new wildlife gardeners when they end up at nurseries like those and don't realize that unless they are familiar with the species that they are going to have to look up each and every plant they are interested in individually to determine what is native to North America and actually beneficial to wildlfie and what is not. This is how the confusion starts for people.
Bovees was selling so many aliens that I lost count although I did spot that they offered Claytonia parvifolia and Herpatica americanum but with a line up such as what they had, it was real difficult "weeding" through to find the plants that were actually beneficial to North American wildlife.
The Hillkeep link or rather Pacific Rim Nursery was somewhat better but even they had a little blurb that stated "Most of our plants are native to western North America. Some are native to the Himalaya, China, Japan, Chile, Argentina and New Zealand ~ regions that have temperate conditions compatible with ours". Although that might be a nice link for people west of the Rockies, they're going to have to be careful if they're looking only for native plants for wildlife because there were so many species intermixed that it was definitely confusing.
The link to RareFind Nursery was interesting. Although they were very low on any native plants, they were offering some nice cultivars of native species but none of them were denoted as being cultivars of indigenous species and again... this is very confusing to many newer gardeners particularly when a native plant is listed right next to an alien species They had some nice plants, I just wish for the sake of those who are trying to garden for North American fauna that RareFind had split their plants up into categories rather than jumbling them all together.
The Rhododendron Species Foundation stated this, "These wild types, called species (as opposed to hybrids), are native to the temperate regions of Asia, North America, and Europe, as well as to the tropical regions of southeast Asia and northern Australia. None is indigenous to Africa or South America. By far, the largest number of wild species rhododendrons, including the most beautiful of them, are native to Asia". Again, very confusing to new people to have to weed through to find the few that are actually native to North America.
Colvos Creek is selling Albizia julibrissin??? They are selling more than 15 Barberry cultivars??? They have a host of Buddleia being offered? I hate to say this but... nurseries that sell so many of the most invasive of all species are part of the problem not the solution. I never got past the Bs of their plant list as there was no point moving on to Cs or beyond. I realize they want to make money but do they have to sell some of the worst of the worst that wreak havoc on our continent and cost tax payers billions of dollars removing them?
UUallace, I'm sure you've been gardening long enough to know by sight what is what when you look at the inventory list for a nursery but lots of people who want to garden for wildlife are just starting out and incredibly there are people out there who will think that all of the plants being offered at the links you provided are "safe" and many plants offered for sale were anything but "safe" and definitely not plants that would be deemed wildlife freindly.
I don't mean to hurt your feelings but there are a lot of people out there who don't have your skill set and can't tell the origin of a plant just by reading the binomial. Many people who have a sincere interest in gardening for wildlife wouldn't even realize how many of the plants being offered at those sites were listed by the Feds as being exotic invasive species or noxious weeds.
My state's native plant society has many great resources available on the web site, including lists of natives by type for various regions of the state and a list of things NOT to plant along with recommendations for native substitutes.
www.mdflora.org
I also have to recommend a native plant nursery near my home in southern Maryland. Lower Marlboro Nursery is a wonderful small nursery -- pretty much a one woman operation. The proprietor, Mary Stuart Sierra, knows her MD native plants and is very encouraging and helpful to gardeners. While she carries some exotics, none are invasive and she clearly indicates the origins of her plants in her catalogue. Actually, I'm due to make a trip over there to see what she's got growing this year.
http://www.lowermarlboronursery.com/
There are no native ONLY nurseries, that I have been able to find! I agree that Albizia julibrissin is invasive in the Confederacy. My horror here is Vinca.
My Mayflower and most of my wild Lingonberries came from Bovees. Bovees sells North American wild Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-Idaea minus) as well as the European Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-Idaea).
Rhododendron Species Foundation has all of the American Azaleas as well as Ledums, and our only native Elepidote.
Lower Marlboro Nursery (Excellent site)
Many CULTIVARS listed, plus Asian natives.
Actually, there are quite a few "native only nurseries" out there and their numbers are growing. Then there are a ton of nurseries that have a focus on native plants but also offer exotic non-invasive species that mind property lines as well. It took me an incredibly long time to find the nurseries that I deal with but I now have about 8 that I go back to again and again and again. Some of my nurseries are native only and some are native and non-invasive exotics. Just depends.
The Prairie Nursery that joepyeweed listed above is one that I'm a repeat customer at. They have great plants and I am relatively sure they are 100% native.
The following is my favorite. I get seed from them but have never purchased their plants, I like to grow from seed. I have heard that their plants are very nice. they seem to be real stewards of the land. I plan on going to one of their tours this year. There are only two days a year that they give them.
http://prairiemoon.com/
I am far from being an expert, I am very new to growing natives. Aren't their plants that are native to one area and invasive in another?
Help me out please. I have been making my purchases from Prairie Moon Nursery assuming that what they sell was truly native to my area. Am I wrong about this?
In looking at the Prairie Moon web site I found this link.
http://plants.usda.gov/index.html
Zen, there are certainly plants like robinia that, while native to parts of North America, are not native to other regions in North America. And, as robinia spreads into those regions as a function of disturbance and cultivation, it acts like any other exotic invasive from another continent, overwhelming native flora etc. Of course, there are also plants which, while North American natives generally, are not native to your specific region but are nonetheless are fine garden plants and, while exotic to the region, are not invasive or problematic in the ecological sense.
I have a mix in my gardens. Many regional natives including species and local genotypes where possible, but also some cultivars. Many North American natives which are not necessarily native to my region, but not invasive and fine plants -- mostly cultivars here, but some species. Many exotics which, again, are fine garden plants and not invasive. Again, mostly cultivars.
You are right!
There are also plants that are both native and invasive.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=AMAR2
Nazdrowie
Gesundheit
& al
Prairie Moon is yet another great nursery. I'm a repeat customer there too. Good for you for finding it. Because of your location being Minnesota, I would presume that the vast majority of plants they offer (if not all) will be perfectly fine for you but you can always call them on the phone and ask specifics. They are such good sports and they will take time with you.
You might also like to check into Great Lakes Nursery-
[HYPERLINK@www.greatlakesnursery.com]
They'll also spend time with you.
I too have a mix of exotic non-invasive plants, cultivars of natives, and natives. Most unfortunately, I actually have many exotic invasives here but that is not by choice. I diligently remove them and plant back straight species natives that are preferably of local genotype but I will go out into a larger radius if need be. The exotics I have growing here that are non-invasive are planted up tight around my home. Not because they are "bad" plants but more so because my property has natural areas and in general it isn't a good idea to introduce anything that isn't native to any natural areas.
Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a perfect example of a North American native plant that is indigeous to many regions of the US that was introduced to areas in the US where it had never existed and is now causing problems. Although the vast majority of plants that are highly invasive are introduced from other continents, there are quite a few species that are botanical bullies that are native to the continent of North America.
If you'd like, I can send you a few links to better enable you get a feel for the larger picture.
I had a bad experience with prairie moon nursery. I ordered about a dozen or so plugs from them about three years ago. The plugs arrived in real bad shape... they were packed poorly, some had fallen out of their containers, some of them were broken, bare and dried out and there dirt was all over inside the box...
I have received plugs from other nurseries that were packed properly and were in great shape... so I was really confused by the way these plants were packed.
I called them to let them know about it and the person I talked to was very rude and snotty. She said something like "We really don't know how to package them well... its very difficult to ship plants because that very thing can happen."
I replied something along the lines of "Well, your competition knows how to ship & pack plants, perhaps you should learn how to do it before you claim to be mail order nursery."
Anyway I have never ordered from them again... and I never will.
I have had excellent plants (packed and shipped properly) from both Ion Exchange and Prairie Nursery. The people at both those nurseries are very friendly and very helpful.
I have visited the Ion Exchange nursery -its about 45 miles away from where my parents live. It was really neat seeing all those little seedlings row upon row - very interesting operation. And of course the rows of wildflowers were beautiful to see also.
I have had Black Locusts at my two previous homes. The last one, the property abutted virgin woods. I also had the 17 year locusts, but that is another story. They make a good shade tree fast. The wood is extremely brittle. After a storm your property is loaded with broken branches. Cut one down and you will have dozens of babies from the roots.
non sequitur
My old home which was rented at the time had a broken locust either wind or lightening. I roped off the branches that could have damaged the house, Then I went up an extension ladder than climed up from there. [ "To infinity and beyond!"] One of my branches took out all of the rungs from my ladder. It took about a half hour to get rescued.
Eeek, you were stuck on a ladder with no rungs? Are you sure you aren't my twin too? Getting stuck on a ladder with no rungs sounds like a Lauren move.
Getting stuck on a ladder with no rungs , almost sounds like it could be the title of a country and western song.
joepyeweek, how awful to have so much trouble with Prairie Moon, they have always been so nice when I have called them, weird. They helped sponsor a rain garden workshop I went to and are giving anyone that was at the workshop a good deal on plants. I am getting mine in June. I wonder how they will be when they come. I have always just gotten seed.
The bad plant packaging incident was three or four years ago and I would certainly hope they have figured out how to pack plants by now....
I was more bothered by the snotty response on the phone than I was that the plugs were in bad shape. I think all but one of the plants survived so I didn't really lose anything. The incident just left a bad impression.
A ladder with no rungs = giant chopsticks
Or maybe stilts? Now there's a challenge for you EQ!
Funny you should mention stilts....
Zenpotter,
There is a small native plant nursery at this address:
Landscape Alternatives 1705 Saint Albans St N, Roseville, MN (W of Larpenteur and Dale intersection)
651-488-3142
They carry MN native plants - mostly perennials and grasses. The staff is very knowledgeable and nice.
For MN native shrubs, I hear Outback is the place to go, but I never went there. Rice Creek Gardens 11506 Central Ave NE has mostly MN grown stock and they are very knowledgeable staff there, too. They have some natives that other places don't. But not all their stock is native.
Do you own Landscaping for Wildlife by Carroll Henderson of MN DNR? In chart form, it tells you what plants are Excellent, Good, Fair for Butterflies, Hummingbirds and the rest for birds/wildlife for food/nectar, caterpillar fodder, and cover. It also says whether or not the plant is native. The book is inexpensive, but you can also find it at the library.
In my new area, I am finding it very difficult to find nurseries with native stock. There is a wonderful TX book by Wasowski that lists plants by which part of TX they are native to (TX has 10 different climate zones of its own - not USDA). I need help finding good nursery sources and am becoming quite frustrated. I can find plenty of seed sources, but I need plants!
I believe that if we bug the nurseries enough that stock will be grown for our native needs.
Anyone out there that can help me?
indirt
I do have Landscaping for Wildlife by Carroll Henderson it is such a good book.
I am sorry to say Landscape Alternatives has moved over near the St Croix and Rose Creek Gardens is moving to Southern Minnesota. The two cities are growing into what was land for garden centers. I haven't been to Outback yet since I had native plants closer to me, but by next year Rose Creek will be gone from the close at hand so it will be mail order or drive.
Does Texas have a DNR web site than can help you or a University one like the Uof M does?
Texas has the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center?
Wow! Zenpotter, things really are moving fast there. We have only been here a year!
The Ladybird Wildflower Center is great for info, and I hadn't thought of looking up the DNR. I just looked through part of it and it has awesome info, too - THANKS! A&M has awesome info, too. We have an offshoot of A&M close by in Stephenville - Tarleton U.
I really need a nursery that can provide me with plants that these places talk about and what I have read in Wasowski's book.
I found some of the plants on our land - very cool. But I would like to improve the land we live on by providing a little more diversity and to bring back what was lost with overgrazing from previous owners' cows. I know others who would like to get those invaders off their property and put back some natives in their place. I can find seed, but they would like plants.
I am helping both my mom and brother with their yards, too, and they live in a different TX zone than I do as well as a different USDA zone.
Perhaps I will end up having to do like Zenpotter and drive a distance. It is so sad that the good nurseries are getting pushed out. We need more, not less of them. I know of a nursery that is maybe 4-5 hours from here. Based on their website, they have quite a selection. I don't think I can mail order, but even if I could, it would be an expensive ship. Perhaps if multiple people wanted to go with a trailer and pre-order? Hmm. If only there was one, just one, that was closer!
Sometimes as your work continues on removing/controlling invasives ... the natives come back on their own and you don't have to plant anything. Eliminating the competition from the invasives helps the natives that were once dormant resurface. So before you do a significant amount of planting, I would monitor the situation and continue control the invasives.
Even so, planting is going to be required for significantly disturbed areas,,,
I do wish you luck in finding a source of plants. Some of my best sources of natives has been trading while getting to know other native enthusiasts... typically a local native group will have seed exchanges and plant sales...
Actually, taking out some of the natives will help other natives grow. Like mesquite and juniper take up a lot of nutrients and water. If we control the population of these guys perhaps???
Birds tend to spread the most invasive plant. I am not even sure what it is, but I am pretty sure it is not native. It is a vine that covers trees to the point of suffocation. It makes a berry that birds like to eat. It is thorny like a rose. I think I will spend the rest of my life trying to eradicate this weed.
indirt
Is this your plant?
http://www.alabamatv.org/kudzu/
http://www.yahoolavista.com/kudzu/
California native plants and loads of information:
http://www.laspilitas.com
Black locusts are all over our 3 acres. Some locals claim they indicate an Indian Village was here. Research (thanks to DG folks) had indicated otherwise. I like them and hate them. The flowers smell wonderful, they make a mess, they sprout/grow everywhere (including on the hood of my car), the young trees have miserable stickers, the breaking branches are frightening during winter storms, and the shade is incredible in the summer. Posts made of locusts are called "100 year posts" for good reason and the firewood is the best (1 cord = 1 ton coal in BTU production).
We'll slowly (really slowly) be getting rid of them, along with the ivy and berries covering the place.
NativeGardening@yahoogroups.com
I got in an order from Prairie Moon last week. My stuff was packaged very well. They were bare-root plants, down in plastic bags with holes. Lots of peat in the bags. Each bag had at least one rubber band around the top. They were having a sale. I got perennials for $2 down to $1. I also got a Viburnum dentatum for $2. I was extremely pleased. I would highly recommend them!
Terry
This message was edited May 31, 2006 8:01 PM
UUallace and 4paws - sorry took so long to reply. That vine looks similar to one of the vines crawling up the tree, but the vine we have all over the place tangling up the trees I found is called green briar. Awful prickly stuff.
Lospilitas, do they ship to TX? I recently found a TX native plant I was looking for at a CA nursery, but they CAN'T ship to TX. I think that Lospilitas has some TX natives.
I think that if we keep looking diligently, someone somewhere will find what we are looking for. A nice lady at one of the nurseries I visited found a friend with Desert 4 o'clocks. This friend just gave her a bunch from her yard which she kept some and gave some to their grower, and she said I could have the rest - no charge.
I guess I am just not patient enough sometimes! I think I found another plant I was looking for growing on my property, too.
My comments are in no way intended to be .. as any form of introduction or yet another stage set for any controversial battle of unforgiving and/or overbearing 'invasive/non-invasive' rattling.
It is merely some common sense offering, and the courtesy of adding another web site suggestion to the already wonderful on-going list ..
The use of 'North America' (in isolating it as a 'region') - truly does little, as an aid in attempting to increase conservation awareness of any 'north american' native plants and their use in any of our landscapes. The continent is a far too diversified bio-land mass .. to try to 'treat' it as such.
Many moons ago .. the continent (as well as others) .. was never as massively populated as it is today. And, as matters of living and procreation progress, it will continually change .. but, it shall never revert to what any of the ancients and our forefathers first found and/or witnessed.
Seems .. that in each area (most prevalent in the USA) .. that even within any particular state - the bio-diversity can indeed, vary greatly. The lil state of Texas is merely one example. (hee)
In practically every instance, the individual must give consideration to each 'purported' native plant (of applicable said state) - as to the plant being labeled as 'native to' (said state). Then, further (and most crucial) .. to weigh carefully .. its’ value or (lack thereof) to be introduced and implemented into ones property.
On that note .. I shall end with providing what I feel is a mitey dandy website, of which the focus is protecting and restoring the biodiversity of Missouri and is applicable to much of the Ozarks region of Arkansas also. The list of plants can be viewed using the botanical or common name.
> http://www.grownative.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.main
- Magpye
This message was edited Jun 9, 2006 3:49 PM
I started the thread because I garden for wildlife utilizing native plants and live on this continent. The vast majority of people posting here are from North America so I figured it best to list out sites that were nationwide that offered local chapters. To me, it's all about local genotype and provenance when working with "native" plants because as noted, the Continent of North America contains many different biospheres. Although I may have Taxodium distichum that is indigenous to my County while you also have T. distichum that is also indigenous to your County, one will be a northern race and one will be a southern race. Hence the Bald Cypress that grows by me won't thrive and/or survive down by you and vice versa. There are some generalities that will apply to all of us in that each habitat represented by members here will have a limited carrying capacity or rather a limited biomass. When that habitat is filled with a few extremely aggressive exotics; sufficient resources such as light, nutrients, and water will not exist for the normal mix of indigenous species that otherwise would be found. Point in context would be that there are some non-indigenous species that are appealing to some birds during the limited time they are fruiting. Most unfortunately, once those habitat hogging exotics drop their fruit there are no other native species to pick up the slack. Additionally, there are other nutritional concerns in that the introduced species aren't generally any where near capable of providing sustenance for the local fauna as well as local flora can. Migrating birds have a need for essential lipids not just fillers that run right through them such as the fruit of Rhamnus. Migrating birds for me would be North American birds. Rhamnus is European.
Personally, I think this whole thread should probably be over in Gardening For Wildlife but that forum hadn't been created at the time I started this thread. I sort of had a choice of sticking it in Indigenous Plants or the original Wildlife Forum. It was a toss up. Oops!
Equil
My referencing 'north america' .. was to emphasize the importance of all of us realizing how very diverse each of the states (and/or countries, etc.) truly are. And to urge one to check carefully when researching for native plants in ones particular state/area.
- Magpye
This message was edited Aug 9, 2006 3:31 PM
First off, hugs back at ya. Don't edit your post, I thought you wording was perfectly fine. On my own property I'm dealing with unique little ecosystems ranging from wetlands complete with ponds on up to deciduous woodlands and I'd like to have a little portion of it devoted to a prairie. Even a native cattail won't make it planted in an upland woodland in and amongst native Oaks so I think what you typed was very appropriate. I'm most certainly not upset because I agree with you, particularly this statement, "Many moons ago .. the continent (as well as others) .. was never as massively populated as it is today. And, as matters of living and procreation progress, it will continually change .. but, it shall never revert to what any of the ancients and our forefathers first found and/or witnessed". You have to admit that life is much richer with the tomato as well as countless other introduced species. There are those who would sent the tomato packing, but I'm not one of them. Takes a lot to upset most people here and I went back and re-read your post to see if I missed something that might have been even slightly disconcerting and I couldn't find anything. If I get frustrated with a person or suspect they are not playing nice in the sand box, I merely don't post in the thread anymore and I think that's probably what most do.
Lauren
indirt - my mom used to live southwest of Hico in Fredericksburg. You go south on 281 to Johnson City then west on 290. There is a wilflower farm on 290 between Fredericksburg and Stonewall. It's called the Wildseeds Farms: http://www.wildseedfarms.com/
Also, here in Missouri, Missouri Wildflowers Nursery is my very trusted source of plants: http://www.mowildflowers.net/
Another good identification site for Missouri native plant gardeners is:
http://www.missouriplants.com/index.html
RW
I wouldn't buy any seed mixes from Wildseeds. Better to go with Prairie Moon or Prairie Nursery, if you're really interested in native plants. Or the LadyBird Johnson Wildflower Center in Texas.
Equil, I don't know of, and have never, ever met, one native plant person who would send the tomato packing. In 25+ years of being invoIved in habitat restoration. I have 5 tomato plants growing amongst my natives as I type. I'm quite fond of lettuces, too. I grow them as borders to my native plant beds. And onions and chives. And potatoes. And snapdragons. And a wood peony. Amongst many other well behaved exotics.
All in all, I find the "native plant nazi" appelation to be a straw man set up by some in the green industry to defend the indefensible.
Misery Native Plants Garden is the best ID site that I have ever seen. I still would like to find a Native Nursery. Huge quantities are availabe at reforestation sites. I just want a few.
Dodecatheon
About "native plant nazi". Now what political party did Walker Bush and Thyssen create? Whatever happened to Walker-Bush Oil and Hamburg Amerika?
UUallace, may I please have the link to that Misery Native Plants Garden for IDs? Thanks.
Dode, they're out there. I've gone to a few seminars where I've run into a few. I've also had a few at my property who tsk tsk tsked my lousy Hostas. Quick fast, get rid of your tomatoes ;) There are always going to be extremists. Once you get out of the circles in which we travel, you might be surprised to find a few who also want to decrease the highly invasive human population.
This was the link posted above by Rootwad. I took liberties with the spelling. [poetic license # BR-549]
Larry
"Another good identification site for Missouri native plant gardeners is:
[HYPERLINK@www.missouriplants.com]"