These organizations are made up of passionate and knowledgeable people who are dedicated to teaching you about the plants that are indigenous to the region where each group is located.

The absolute best way to begin to discover which native plants will work best in your wildlife garden is to connect with your local native plant society as well as nearby native plant nurseries.

These folks are passionate about native plants and love to share their knowledge with anyone who asks. Since their gardens are probably close by, they can give you the best answers about what will work best in your garden.

Below is a guide to the native plant societies in the US and Canada.

Note: This list is just an introduction to the comprehensive list of native plant resources for the United States and Canada website

Also check out these related resources:

• Master Naturalist Programs by State
• Native Plant Certificate Programs
• Native Plant Nurseries, Organizations, and Resources for North America a comprehensive list of resources

North America Native Plant Society

Native Plant Societies in the US

Alabama Native Plant Society

Alabama Wildflower Society

Alaska Native Plant Society

Alaska Native Plant Society

Arkansas Native Plant Society

Arkansas Native Plant Society

Arizona Native Plant Society

Arizona Native Plant Society

California Native Plant Society

California Native Plant Society

Colorado Native Plant Society

Colorado Native Plant Society

Connecticut Native Plant Society

Connecticut Botanical Society

Delaware Native Plant Society

Delaware Native Plant Society Nursery

Florida Native Plant Society

Florida Native Plant Society

Georgia Native Plant Society

Georgia Native Plant Society

Hawaii Native Plant Society

Native Hawaiian Plant Society

Idaho Native Plant Society

Idaho Native Plant Society

Illinois Native Plant Society

Illinois Native Plant Society

Indiana Native Plant Society

Indiana Native Plant & Wildflower Society

Iowa Native Plant Society

Iowa Native Plant Society

Kansas Native Plant Society

Kansas Native Plant Society

Kentucky Native Plant Society

Kentucky Native Plant Society

Louisiana Native Plant Society

Louisiana Native Plant Society

Maine Native Plant Society

Maine Chapter, New England Wild Flower Society

Maryland Native Plant Society

Maryland Native Plant Society

Massachusetts Native Plant Society

New England Wild Flower Society

Michigan Native Plant Society

Wildflower Association of Michigan

Minnesota Native Plant Society

Minnesota Native Plant Society

Mississippi Native Plant Society

Mississippi Native Plant Society

Missouri Native Plant Society

Missouri Native Plant Society

Montana Native Plant Society

Montana Native Plant Society

Nebraska Native Plant Society

Nebraska Native Plant Society

Nevada Native Plant Society

Nevada Native Plant Society

New Hampshire Native Plant Society

New Hampshire Chapter, New England Wild Flower Society

New Jersey Native Plant Society

The Native Plant Society of New Jersey

New Mexico Native Plant Society

Native Plant Society of New Mexico

New York Native Plant Society

New York Flora Association

North Carolina Native Plant Society

North Carolina Native Plant Society

North Dakota Native Plant Society

Great Plains Native Plant Society

Ohio Native Plant Society

Ohio Native Plant Society

Oregon Native Plant Society

Native Plant Society of Oregon

Pennsylvania Native Plant Society

Pennsylvania Native Plant Society

Rhode Island Native Plant Society

Rhode Island Wild Plant Society

South Carolina Native Plant Society

South Carolina Native Plant Society

South Dakota Native Plant Society

Great Plains Native Plant Society

Tennessee Native Plant Society

Tennessee Native Plant Society

Texas Native Plant Society

Native Plant Society of Texas

Utah Native Plant Society

Utah Native Plant Society

Vermont Native Plant Society

Vermont Chapter, New England Wild Flower Society

Virginia Native Plant Society

Virginia Native Plant Society

Washington Native Plant Society

Washington Native Plant Society

West Virginia Native Plant Society

West Virginia Native Plant Society

Wisconsin Native Plant Society

Botanical Club of Wisconsin

Wyoming Native Plant Society

Wyoming Native Plant Society

Native Plant Societies in Canada

North America Native Plant Society–NANPS is dedicated to the Study, Conservation, Cultivation and Restoration of North America’s Native Flora. Follow on Facebook

Alberta Native Plant Council

British Columbia

Native Plant Society of British Columbia

Manitoba

Native Orchid Conservation Inc

New Brunswick

New Brunswick Botany Club

Newfoundland and Labrador

Wildflower Society of Newfoundland and Labrador

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society

Ontario

Field Botanists of Ontario

Quebec

FloraQuebeca

Saskatchewan

Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan

Up today, an Ecosystem Garden does not have to conform to the stereotype of the “wild garden,” says Carolyn Summers, but can be designed to give you any style of garden that you’d like, while using native plants.

I was honored to meet Carolyn Summers when our keynote addresses bookended the day at the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society annual conference, and I became very excited about her message that day.

Carolyn’s groundbreaking book, Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East, is an excellent read. In fact, I could not put it down.

Here are some points from my talk with Carolyn Summers about designing our gardens with native plants:

Native, or indigenous, plants are vital to wildlife because they are part of the local food web. Exotic plants do not contribute to the food web and are merely ornaments in our landscape, says Summers.

She goes on to explain why indigenous plants are so important, how to choose them, how to buy them, and how to design the garden of your dreams using native plants.

Carolyn’s goal is to make human-dominated landscapes more hospitable to wildlife by teaching us how to incorporate more native plants into our urban and suburban gardens.

It makes no sense to just choose plants merely for their decorative value when we can choose plants that are beautiful and also play a role in the local ecology for wildlife. Don’t limit yourself to non-functional plants, but work to choose multi-purpose plants which better support a wide diversity of wildlife.

Is your favorite garden style a formal garden? Did you know you can create this using native plants?

No matter what style of garden you are most comfortable with, you can design it using indigenous plants, including Italianate, knot, cottage, and even Japanese-style gardens.

So check out Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East, by Carolyn Summers to learn how to design your wildlife-friendly garden in your favorite garden style.

What’s your gardening style in your Ecosystem Garden?

We humans are a self important lot. We choose and toss away celebrities and fads like the chocolates in a box whose fillings we don’t like. Sadly the same mindset follows us into our gardens.

We carve ourselves a home smack dab in the midst of an existing community and because that community doesn’t speak our language we think nothing of rendering them homeless and hungry in the process. No, I’m not making a political statement about the displaced native Americans whose homes we ripped away from them, I am aiming much deeper than even that.

The weeds that plague our collective suburban existence are actually food and shelter for the true natives of our lands. The birds, rabbits, insects and squirrels all require the same basic things that we do – something to eat and a place to lay our heads. Why are we so self-involved as to think that we can not only take away their natural habitats but also trap, block and even poison them into submission when they try to meet their simple needs in our carefully manicured gardens?

The next time you rip out a few more trees in the name of a bigger garden plot, perhaps you might pause long enough to look beyond yourself and your own needs. You may just find that you can live with what you’ve already got. And so can they.

If you’re a gardener, you may have heard of Michael Nolan, the self-proclaimed “Garden Rockstar.” This passionate horticulturist and author has made a name for himself in the gardening world with his unique approach to gardening and his infectious energy.

Born and raised in the countryside of Ireland, Michael has always had a love for nature and the outdoors. He started gardening at a young age, and as he grew older, his passion for horticulture only grew stronger. He eventually pursued a degree in horticulture and went on to work as a professional gardener for several years.

But it was his love for teaching others about gardening that led him to become a garden rockstar. Michael’s approach to gardening is different from what you might expect. He believes that gardening should be fun, and he wants to make it accessible to everyone, regardless of their skill level or experience.

In his book, “Gardening Made Easy,” Michael shares his expertise and enthusiasm for gardening in a way that is both informative and entertaining. He covers everything from how to select the right plants for your garden to how to care for them properly. He also shares tips and tricks for creating a garden that is both beautiful and functional.

Michael’s mission is to make gardening accessible and enjoyable for everyone, and he does just that with his lively and engaging style. He has a strong following on social media and has been featured in several gardening magazines and on television shows.

Michael Nolan, The Garden Rockstar is an author, blogger and speaker on gardening, sustainability, food ethics and homesteading.

Winter is a wonderful time to visit natural areas near you, such as my trip to Wissahickon Park. You get to focus on the structure of the plant community and observe many details that would go unnoticed when the trees are all leafed out or blooming during spring and summer.

Wissahickon Park is a large, natural park located in the Wissahickon Valley in the northwest suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The park covers over 1,800 acres of lush, forested land, and is a popular destination for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.

The Wissahickon Creek, a tributary of the Schuylkill River, runs through the park, providing a unique and beautiful landscape that attracts visitors from all over the region. The creek is surrounded by steep cliffs and rugged rock formations, and is a popular spot for rock climbing and fishing.

The park is also home to a wide variety of wildlife, including deer, foxes, coyotes, and over 200 species of birds. The park’s diverse habitats, including forests, meadows, and wetlands, provide important habitat for a wide range of wildlife species.

In addition to its recreational opportunities, Wissahickon Park is also a valuable cultural and historical resource, with several historic sites and structures located throughout the park. These include the Wissahickon Creek Dam, an historic stone dam built in the 1700s, and the Wissahickon Inn, a historic tavern that dates back to the 1700s.

Wissahickon Park is managed by the Fairmount Park Commission, and is an important part of the larger Fairmount Park system, one of the largest urban park systems in the country. The park is open year-round, and admission is free.

Although Wissahickon Park has been protected and restored to wilderness in many places, this does not mean that this forest is able to take care of itself after so much human disturbance.

Most of you have probably heard of Colony Collapse Disorder, a phenomenon where honey bees are dying off by the millions. A large part of our agricultural food supply is dependent on pollination by honey bees, this collapse is a matter of great concern to farmers across the country.

Because the rise of factory monoculture farms has co-evolved with industrial bee keeping here in the U.S., our food supply has become dependent on the services of the non-native honey bee, to the exclusion and detriment of our native pollinators.

The collapse of honey bee colonies caused farmers and the corporate agricultural industry to turn their eyes to native pollinators to fulfill the essential ecosystem service of pollination of our food supply. However, it was soon apparent that many native pollinators had vanished and others were in sharp decline.

What Happened to the Native Pollinators?

1. Habitat loss and fragmentation–both the outright destruction of habitat, and chopping it down into smaller and smaller isolated fragments threaten the diversity and abundance of native pollinators (and all wildlife).
2. Habitat degradation–this reflects both the influx of invasive species and some land management practices, such as modern mowers and string trimmers which can cut in places which previously would have been left to grow, reducing both floral and structural diversity. Invasive organisms outcompete native species, replacing them with inferior foraging and egg-laying opportunities. Herbicides used instead of hand weeding kill all plants, removing forage for native pollinators. Our passion for “neatness” is destroying habitat for pollinators.
3. Pesticides–don’t just kill target species, but kill all species. Pesticides and herbicides are having a disastrous impact on native pollinators. Pesticides kill directly, while herbicides reduce the variety and amount of available forage.

These threats to our native pollinators are all the result of human action, and it will only be through human actions that reverse these trends that pollinators (and all wildlife) will be able to survive these dangers.

What You Can Do to Help Native Pollinators

1. Stop using herbicides and pesticides
2. Plant a wide diversity of plants whose bloom times overlap and last from early spring through late fall. Diversity is key here, you want lots of plants that bloom in March/April, lots in bloom through the summer, and a wide variety of blooms through the fall. The more diverse your plantings, the more pollinators you can support.
3. Protect and create appropriate nesting and egg-laying sites. Bees need sites in the ground or woody vegetation and nesting materials and butterflies require appropriate host plants (each species requires a specific plant). Many bees nest in the stems of flowering plants, so don’t cut them down until the following spring after the bees have emerged.
4. Create sheltered, undisturbed sites for hibernation and overwintering. Brush piles, rock piles, log piles, and hedgerows are great ways to accomplish this.

Planning your Ecosystem Garden to support native pollinators will also benefit many other species of wildlife. Everything is connected, and actions taken to help one kind of wildlife often have beneficial effects for other species as well.

Check out the Pollinator Conservation Handbook to discover more ways of helping native pollinators in your Ecosystem Garden. (This is an affiliate link, your purchase of this book through this link will contribute $0.80 to the upkeep of this site. Thank you!)

What are you doing for pollinators in your Ecosystem Garden? Do you have a butterfly garden, bee nesting blocks, or safe places for pollinators to spend the winter?

We need to wake up to the fact that many of our native bees are also in great trouble due to habitat loss, pesticides, and other actions by humans.

The truth is, our wildlife gardens are one of the last lines of defense to protect these native pollinators. We can create habitat and provide them with everything they need. Doing so will ensure that all of our beautiful native plants receive the pollination services they need, and even that we have delicious tomatoes and other vegetables growing in our gardens.

There are over 4,000 species of bees in North America, and they play a critical role in pollinating crops and wild plants. Some of the most common species of bees in North America include:

Honeybees: Honeybees are the most well-known species of bees, and they are often kept by beekeepers for honey production.

Bumblebees: Bumblebees are large, fuzzy bees that are important pollinators of crops and wildflowers.

Solitary bees: Solitary bees include many different species that do not live in colonies and do not produce honey. Instead, they nest in individual burrows in the ground or in hollow stems.

Mason bees: Mason bees are solitary bees that are known for their ability to pollinate fruit trees and other crops.

Leafcutter bees: Leafcutter bees are solitary bees that cut pieces of leaves to line their nests.

The health of bee populations in North America has declined in recent years due to a number of factors, including habitat loss, pesticide use, disease, and climate change. The decline of bee populations is a cause for concern because bees play a crucial role in maintaining the health of ecosystems and producing the food we eat.

In response to the decline in bee populations, many conservation organizations, government agencies, and individuals have taken action to support bee health, including planting native wildflowers, reducing pesticide use, and promoting bee-friendly practices in agriculture. The continued efforts to support bee health and biodiversity will help ensure the survival of these important species and the health of our environment.

While chatting with one of these farmers, I was so pleased to hear her speak of the native pollinators she depends on to pollinate her crops: the squashes, the peppers, her tomatoes, her cucumbers, and so much more.

Supporting our local organic farmers really is crucial to our own health and the safety of our food supply, but also to the health of our native pollinators. Shop small, shop local can absolutely be applied to these farmers who are working so hard, not only to bring us safe, delicious food, but also to protect the land, the environment, and all of the critters who are dependent on this habitat.

And your wildlife garden can also play a crucial role in protecting these pollinators.

Supporting local organic farmers is not just good for the environment, but it can also have some great benefits for you and your community. By choosing to buy organic, you’re choosing food that is free from harmful chemicals and pesticides, making it a healthier choice for you and your family.

Not only are you feeding yourself and your loved ones nutritious and tasty food, but you’re also supporting sustainable agriculture practices. Organic farming relies on natural processes to grow crops, rather than harmful chemicals, which means that the soil, water, and air in your community will be cleaner. This, in turn, creates a healthier environment for wildlife and future generations.

When you buy from local organic farmers, you’re also supporting the local economy. By keeping your food dollars close to home, you’re helping to create and maintain local jobs, and preserving local food traditions. This also helps to reduce the carbon footprint of your food, as it doesn’t have to travel long distances to reach you.

So, next time you’re grocery shopping, consider looking for products from your local organic farmers. Not only will you be making a positive impact on your own health and the environment, but you’ll also be supporting your community and local economy.

“Create Wildlife Habitat. Protect The Environment.”

Individually they are just words, connected they become two sentences that rally the ideals of conservationists, and together they form a powerful set of observations that in the realm of science has progressed from a mere hypothesis to theory to law.

And by that I mean there are currently no known exceptions to this rule; it’s a statement of fact. But once you move past the words the picture comes to life and I swear I can see the insects , birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals moving amongst the grasses.

Harmony.

But since science tends to avoid absolutism, I am all about gathering more data to lend credence and support to this law of nature.

I want your garden!

And that’s why all of us become ecologically relevant.

Human activities seem to be synonymous with habitat fragmentation

Clearing forests for timber, converting grasslands to agricultural lands, breaking up shorelines to make room for a new hotel, or leveling rolling hills for the development of the latest neighborhood in your community all contribute to the division and loss of quality habitat.

As habitats become small island remnants of what used to be, native species are introduced to increased predation, limited space and competition with invasive species.

And as I recall from courses in ornithology, the growing number of small fragments are transformed into unsustainable population sinks characterized by high mortality rates and poor reproductive success. However, this consequence is not just applicable to birds but to all forms of wildlife and plant life.

Therefore, protecting unfragmented areas of habitat are fundamental to conservation planning and ensuring sustainable wildlife populations.

Unfortunately, a complete utopian solution has eluded us thus far and we tend to find ourselves living within the confines of the past. Historically, and even to this day, there has been a general lack of conservation planning; it just wasn’t something we thought about to be honest as industry, population and technology rapidly progressed and cities expanded.

Although I think it is clear that we understand the importance of contiguous habitats in species survival, its implementation is often swept under the proverbial rug in favor of more buildings, houses and parking lots.

It is up to us to create wildlife habitat

In this sense, it is up to homeowners, businesses, tenants and all of us individuals to become the conservation planners in our communities and combat fragmentation.

This is why I, we and nature need your gardens, backyards and property.

Ecosystem gardening creates wildlife habitat, protects the environment, and caters to the biology of birds, insects, mammals, and so on.

Individually our eco-friendly gardens may be an island refuge, but when linked together with other sustainable landscapes we effectively create much needed wildlife corridor routes. In the classic sense, these corridor routes provide a means by which animals may move with minimal resistance between two geographic locations.

But, on a local level corridors provide suburban, urban and rural passageways in which species can travel from one habitat to another or from one isolated fragment of original territory to the next. We cannot eliminate urban sprawl, but we can certainly try to mitigate the consequences.

As you may recall, I indicated that ecosystem gardening caters to wildlife biology. But it is much more than simply providing the basics; a place to quench the thirst of a butterfly, fill the crop of a visiting bird with seeds and berries, and provide shelter for you name it.

Properly planned gardens as wildlife corridors are essential to dispersal, habitat selection and migration. For example, dispersal is more than simply moving about in search of new territory, but includes:

• Local movements, such as daily foraging, called station keeping;
• Ranging, which is venturing outside the home range in search of mates and suitable habitat;
• And migration, which describes large scale movement across different habitats due to seasonal changes.

And with these complex and daily requirements it makes perfect sense that as species travel from place to place they need suitable resting points, food and water, nesting sites, shelter and the ability to safely traverse the all too common fragmented habitat.

According to an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2008,

“Because movement among remaining patches is important to population persistence, corridors have been widely advocated as a means to maintain biodiversity and ecological processes in fragmented landscapes.” (C. S. Gillies and C. C. St. Clair, Riparian corridors enhance movement of a forest specialist bird in fragmented tropical forest. PNAS 105, 19774-19779)

So while we advocate for the protection of large contiguous habitats and official wildlife corridors, we as ecosystem gardeners can have a direct and positive impact on wildlife individuals, populations, and communities by helping to restore habitat that was lost.

Let’s spread the word and strive to become conservation planners whether we are in charge of an apartment patio, a suburban backyard, or a city park.

It’s about time we all become good wildlife neighbors.

These examples represent the ugly side of human nature, and one would hope that we might have learned important lessons from these examples. But sadly that is not the case.

“Rewilding North America: A Vision for Conservation in the 21st Century” is a book written by Dave Foreman, a well-known environmentalist and founder of the environmental group, The Wildlands Project. The book explores the idea of rewilding, which involves the restoration and preservation of large, wild landscapes and the species that live in them.

Foreman argues that North America’s current approach to conservation, which focuses on preserving isolated pockets of land and species, is not enough to protect the natural world from the impacts of human activity. Instead, he advocates for a holistic approach that reconnects fragmented habitats and restores the balance of ecosystems through the deliberate introduction of missing species.

Foreman argues that rewilding is essential for the survival of species, the protection of ecosystems, and the survival of humanity. He provides evidence for his arguments by highlighting the many benefits of rewilding, such as the reduction of extinction risk, the improvement of water and air quality, and the promotion of biodiversity.

The book also provides practical examples of rewilding projects that have been successful in North America, as well as a detailed roadmap for rewilding the entire continent. Foreman emphasizes the importance of community involvement and collaboration with government agencies in order to achieve the goal of rewilding North America.

Today every species of whale is threatened or endangered by overhunting and outright slaughter.

Sharks are caught, their fins removed, and the shark left to die to satisfy a craving for the delicacy of shark fin soup.

And while we are busy pointing fingers of blame at Japan for these activities, our own hands are not clean.

An image of the former governor of Alaska slaughtering wolves from a helicopter comes to mind.

We continue to persecute bats and snakes just because we fear them.

We hunt wolves and coyotes, not for food, but because we are afraid of predators. Ironically, we then complain when the deer munch down our foundation plantings

This is a difficult question for me to answer for personal reasons, but I’m going to fill you all in here instead of answering this individually in your emails.

Several years ago I was injured in a car accident which has left me with some lingering physical issues that make it difficult to maintain my garden as I had become used to. If you want to know the whole story, you can read about A Man Named Earl, where I’ve talked about it.

For our purposes here, the simplest way to put it is that my garden is a mess. I’ve got Lesser Celandine pressing in from one side, Norway Maples shading out the other side, English Ivy everywhere, and Bishop Weed taking over the front.

In a word, my garden is not a shining example right now of what an Ecosystem Garden can look like, and I was afraid you’d think that wildlife gardens are nothing by an overgrown ugly mess.

That’s why I’ve shown you Helen Yoest‘s beautiful waterwise wildlife garden, and Ellen Sousa‘s amazing garden (I have barn envy), Cindy Ahern‘s bird and wildlife filled garden, Evelyn Lovitz‘s stunning wildlife garden and all the others in the showcase.

But most of the wildlife photos that illustrate these pages are taken in my own garden. Despite the out of control aspects of my garden, the birds, butterflies, and other wildlife continue to make their homes in my garden.

I had someone tell me recently that unless you are financially well off, you can’t expect to be able to have the kind of gardens that I describe here. I don’t think that this is at all true.

I’m far from financially well off right now and I know, as many others also know, that Ecosystem Gardening can save you money:

• Reduce your lawn. Less mowing means you’re using less gasoline
• Plant smart. Putting the right plants in the right place, grouping plants together by water needs, and planting more natives helps you save water which also saves money
• Use natural mulch. Leaf litter contains all of the elements necessary for soil health and feeding your plants. You save by not buying mulch or chemical fertilizers.

The point is you don’t have to redesign your entire garden and spend a lot of money to create an Ecosystem Garden. Every small step that you make for wildlife can make a big difference for wildlife.

When you’re buying a plant to fill that bare spot, think native. Native plants help wildlife.

Hang a hummingbird feeder, and choose plants that hummers can’t resist.

Add one host plant for a butterfly in your area. Also add nectar plants for the adults.

These are little steps that don’t cost a lot that can help the wildlife that is local to your region.