Resources to Learn About Native Plants
The process of choosing what native plants to add to your gardens can be daunting.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite websites and resources to make this easier.
Note that some resources are available for the United States (US), some for Canada (CA) and some cover both.
Do you have a great resource? Let us know and we’ll add it to the list.
Resources for Learning About Native Plants
| Name | CA or US or Both | Link | Best use |
| Pollinator Partnership Guides | Both | www.pollinator.org/guides | Enter your zip code and receive a FREE PDF document specific to your ecoregion. This resource will give you ideas of plants to add and the wildlife they will support. Great reference for beginners. |
| North Carolina Extension Plant Toolbox | US (NC and Southeast) | https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/ | Resource to search for native plants specifically grown in North Carolina and bordering States. |
| Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation | US (Virginia) | https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/native-plants-finder | More regionally focused for those that are searching for native options in Virginia. |
| Audubon Native Plant Database | US | www.audubon.org/native-plants | After entering your zip code, you will be presented with a variety of native plants and the birds they may attract. You can sort and filter based on what you are looking for. There is also a link to local nurseries that may carry natives. |
| Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center | US | www.wildflower.org/plants/ | Search by plant name (scientific or common) to learn about the growing conditions of plants. If you have a “trouble spot” enter the details on the location and the tool will feed you suggestions. Great for more advanced gardeners or those with difficult planting sites. |
| Birds Canada Garden for Birds | CA | https://birdgardens.ca/ | Find a variety of helpful resources from plant guides, to local nursery locator, and ideas for how to create beautiful native gardens in Canada. |
| Canadensys | CA | https://data.canadensys.net/vascan/search | A searchable database for all native vascular plants in Canada. Search by common or scientific names. |
| Gardenia: Native Plant Finder | Both | www.gardenia.net/native-plants/united-states https://www.gardenia.net/plants-by-region/north-america/canada | Another site that will let you search by region with a refined search based on the type of plants that you want to add. This site has more pictures and is visually captivating. |
| Garden for Wildlife | US (CA coming soon…) | www.gardenforwildlife.com/blogs/learning-center | GFW serves as both an educational resource on native gardening for beginners and experts, as well as a plant resource. You can search by zip code, growing conditions, and wildlife preferences for identifying plants that their partner nurseries provide. They are continually expanding their offerings. |
| Native plant finder – National Wildlife Foundation | US | www.nativeplantfinder.nwf.org/Plants | Search results are based on the historic native ranges of plants as determined by the USDA NRCS Plant Database, which are based on range maps that go down to the county level. Another page here links to NWF Native Plant Suppliers. |
| USDA Celebrating Wildflowers – Links | US | www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/wildflowers/links | List of links to organizations – many state specific – that promote preservation, conservation, and knowledge about native plants. Most include a wide array of activities and information including field trips, wildflower walks, presentations, seed exchanges, native plant gardening, restoration information, photo galleries, botanical references, newsletters, plant lists, invasive plant information, and educational classes. |
| Wild Ones | US | https://nativegardendesigns.wildones.org/nursery-list/ | Wild Ones offers a variety of resources for gardeners from native plant garden designs, local chapters, native plant events and nurseries to find native plants in your State. |
| California Native Plant Society | US (California) | https://calscape.org/ | An extensive catalog of plants to search and locate with a native plant nursery tool. Layout and garden design ideas available. |
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