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Native Plants for the DMV
New section on how and why you shoud
Leave the Leaves this fall!
Last updated: November, 2023
Table of Contents
Purple coneflower with a monarch butterfly. Coreopsis hosting bees.
Why should you grow native plants?
Many groups have answered this question far better than I could.
https://www.audubon.org/content/why-native-plants-matter
https://emswcd.org/native-plants/native-plant-benefits/
https://www.sierraclub.org/maryland/blog/2019/04/improve-your-garden-native-plants
https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2020/02/07/yard-sustainability-native-plants
https://www.humanesociety.org/news/wildlife-garden-myths
This is one of many youtube video of Doug Tallamy explaining the importance of natives.
What native plants are good for your yard?
Plant THIS Not THAT (Choose natives to replace non-natives)
https://patterson.audubon.org/sites/default/files/static_pages/attachments/plant_this_not_that.pdf
Top 10 Trees and Shrubs for your Wildlife Garden
Maryland Native Plant Society
Appreciation Conservation Education
https://mdflora.org/nurseries.html
This link has a list of Regional Native Plant Vendors,
Retail and Wholesale
Native Plants for Shady Slopes
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/native-plants-shady-slopes
Native Plants for Sunny Slope
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/native-plants-sunny-slopes
Native Plants for Northern Virginia
Deer resistant native plants
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/deer-resistant-native-plants
Rainscapes Plants guide, from Montgomery County, MD
This is a "poster" of perrenials and bushes for sun and shade (new)
Recommended Native Plants for Maryland
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/recommended-native-plants-maryland
Native Plant Top 10 Lists
https://grownative.org/learn/top-10-lists/
Gardening with Natives in Wet Areas
https://piedmontmastergardeners.org/article/gardening-with-natives-in-wet-areas/
Shrubs and the Pollinators Who Love Them
https://arboretum.harvard.edu/stories/shrubs-and-the-pollinators-who-love-them/
Trees - Friends of Native Trees Takoma (FONTT) https://fontt.org
Tree Guide:
https://fonttorg.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/abf2d-tkpk-native-tree-selection-guide.pdf
Pollinator Plants: Mid Atlantic Region
Where to get them? Nurseries that sell natives
The first two listed sell only natives and no cultivars.
Chesapeake Natives
The gold standard for native plantings in MD. Only local ecotypes.
Most sales are on-line order and pick up, but occasional in-person sales.
Rosaryville State Park, Mt. Airy Mansion Greenhouse
9640 Rosaryville Rd., Upper Marlboro, MD
Earth Sangha Nursery
https://www.earthsangha.org/ or
https://www.earthsangha.org/wpnlist
Nonprofit public charity based in DC. Our mission is ecological restoration as a form of socially engaged Buddhism.
(703) 333-3022 6100 Cloud Dr, Springfield, VA 22150
(The rest are in alphabetical order, no preference intended)
Adkins Arboretum
https://www.adkinsarboretum.org/nursery/
12610 Eveland Road
Ridgely, MD 21660
Phone:410.634.2847
Fax:410.634.2878
Bona Terra
(202) 507-964848
The largest retail inventory of strictly native plants using restorative growing methods
in the DC area
Direct Native Plants
www.directnativeplants.com Online orders only
info@directnativeplants.com or 410-696-1372
Middle River, MD 21220
National Wildlife Federation
Then click on Shop, Mail order only
Herring Run Nursery
https://bluewaterbaltimore.org/nursery/
Accepts online orders starting in spring until everything is sold out or ground freezes. Pick or browse in person.
2631 Sisson St., Baltimore, MD
Izel Plants
Online orders only. Flats of plugs of natives. Most plants are in bulk.
410-989-3721
Kollar Nursery
On-site sales only: no delivery. Browse inventory online and shop in person.
(410) 836-0500.
5200 West Heaps Road, Pylesville, MD 21132
Lauren's Garden Service
https://www.laurensgardenservice.com/native-plant-infomation-and-shopping/
Website includes list of current stock
13554 Triadelphia Rd
Ellicott City, MD 21042
410-461-2535
Native Wildflower Nursery
https://www.nativewildflowers.net
Order on-line
P.O. Box 421
Altamont, TN 37301
Ph: 931-779-3512
Nature by Design
https://www.nature-by-design.com/
Open for browsing by appointment only.
Appointments NOT necessary for curbside pickup of pre-arranged orders.
Order online, pick up at: 300 Calvert Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22301
703-683-GROW (4769)
The Pollen Nation
https://www.thepollennation.com
They sell plugs, in trays of 25 or more. (All out fall '23)
Bridgeton, NJ
Prairie Moon Nursery
On-line orders only, including winter pre-orders delivering in spring. Notable for offering native plugs and seeds.
Delivery only. Nursery not open to public for browsing.
32115 Prairie Lane
Winona, MN 55987
Prairie Nursery
https://www.prairienursery.com
On-line sales only 1-800-476-9453
Prairie Nursery, Inc., P.O. Box 306, Westfield, WI 53964
Redbud Native Plant Nursery
1214 N Middletown Road Glen Mills, PA 19342
A wide selection of Mid-Atlantic natives including trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, perennials and ferns.
610-358-4300
Seven Bends Nursery, VA
Order online and pick up 9-12 on Saturdays in Winchester, VA.
Email: Plants@sevenbends.org
Phone: 540-416-2662
Address for pickup provided at checkout.
Swamp Rose Coop https://swamprosecoop.com
940 Thayer Ave, #7512
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Online native plant sales and landscaping services - Metro DC area.
Plant shop closed for th season.
Tennessee Nursery sells to both retail and wholesale online.
About 90% of their plants are natives.
https://www.tnnursery.net - TN Nursery
https://www.tennesseewholesalenursery.com - Tennessee Wholesale Nursery
https://www.wholesalenurseryco.com - Wholesale Nursery Co
Tree Talk Natives
https://www.treetalknatives.com/
Locally grown native trees and flowers
Open Thur, Fri, Sun and by appointment
11900 Hawkes Road, Clarksburg, MD 20871
703-401-1949
Wildflower Native Plant Nursery 703-589-6654
email: mariana@wildflowernativeplants.com
https://www.wildflowernativeplants.com
8301 Thoreau Drive, Bethesda, MD 20817
NURSERY.DNR.MARYLAND.GOV (just trees)
https://nursery.dnr.maryland.gov/category-s/1829.htm
On-line sale of native Conifers,,Deciduous trees and Deciduous shrubs. Buy in groups of 25 (minimum order)
Contact at:seedlingsales.dnr@maryland.gov
Plant Identification Apps for your phone
Picture This - Take a picture of any plant and get the name, plus lots of other information,
Costs $30. annually
Seek - Get plant (or bug) in focus to light up 7 dots. When all are lit you have identified your subject. Click photo to learn more about that plant. Free. Related to iNaturalist.
iNaturalist - Several steps for ID, but used worldwide for scientific study, free
Google Lens - part of the google suite: take a picture and identify anything: plants, animals, furniture, etc.
All-Native Gardens
Triangle Park Near the Takoma Metro, where Blair Road and 4th St. meet
Glenside Garden - At Glenside Dr. and Jackson Ave., follow the path that takes you over the bridge.
In Takoma Park, MD. Maintained by the neighbors who live right therel
University of MD, College Park
https://arboretum.umd.edu/maryland-natives-shade-garden
Small garden between Francis Scott Key Hall and Woods Hall on McKeldin Mall. A dozen natives have labels.
Delaware Botanic Garden
http://www.delawaregardens.org
30220 Piney Neck Road
Dagsboro, DE 19939
Phone: 302-321-9061
Patterson Park Audubon Center
2901 E. Baltimore St., Box 2
Baltimore, MD 21224
Phone: 410-558-BIRD (2473)
Mt. Cuba Center
3120 BARLEY MILL RD, HOCKESSIN, DE 19707
302.239.4244
Stonelleigh: A Natural Garden
https://stoneleighgarden.org/garden/home/
1829 East County Line Road
Villanova, PA 19085
P 610-353-5587 x200
Adkins Arboretum
https://www.adkinsarboretum.org
12610 Eveland Road
Ridgely, MD 21660
STATE ARBORETUM OF VIRGINIA
400 Blandy Farm Lane
Boyce, VA 22620
540-837-1758
blandy@virginia.edu
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
https://www.lewisginter.org
1800 Lakeside Avenue | Richmond, Virginia 23228 |
804.262.9887
Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens
631 Berwyn Baptist Rd., Devon, Pa.
610-647-8870
Landscaping companies that use mostly natives
I have not vetted any of these. Let me know if you have a particularly good (or bad) experience with any of them.
Lauren's Garden Service and Native Plant Nursery https://www.laurensgardenservice.com/services/
Strawberry Fields strawberrygardendesign.com.
Bona Terra https://bonaterradc.com
(202) 507-96484 bonaterra@bonaterradc.com
Bay-friendly landscaping + native plants
Love and Carrots. https://www.loveandcarrots.com/
Backyard Bounty www.backyardbounty.net
Seedhead Cooperative https://seedheadcooperative.wordpress.com/
Swamp Rose Coop https://swamprosecoop.com
940 Thayer Ave, #7512
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Online native plant sales and landscaping services - Metro DC area.
Native Roots Landscaping https://www.nativerootscaping.com/
Father Nature Restorative Landscaping https://www.father-nature.com/ Services include design, consultations, installation, and maintenance for sustainably focused projects. We restore habitats (meadows, shrublands, woodlands), install gardens, veggie gardens, rain gardens, and create spaces to enjoy the outdoors including natural play areas for children.
Native Plant Landscape Design Corp nativeplantld.com 571-499-8378
"Functional gardens that are beautiful, low maintenance and kind to the environment."
Gardenology www.gardenologyus.com (240)621-0082
Schedule a 15 minute Exploratory call at https://my.gardenologyus.com/optin
Organizations that Promote Native Plants
Wild Ones https://wildones.org
local chapter: https://nationscapitalregion.wildones.org/
Maryland Native Plant Society https://mdflora.org
Friends of Native Trees in Takoma (FONTT)
https://fontt.org/area-nurseries/
Why you should Leave the Leaves
How To Preserve Beneficial Hibernating Insects in Your Yard
Ask the Expert: Doug Tallamy Explains Why (and How to) Leave the Leaves
Leave the Leaves: Winter Habitat Protection
Leave the Leaves & Plant Debris | Support Insects & Overwintering Wildlife
5 Tips On Leaving The Fall Leaves
Pro-tips for Leaving the leaves
https://blog.nwf.org/2023/10/pro-tips-for-leaving-the-leaves/
Washington Post article: Why you should be lazy and leave your leaves in the yard
Let me know about other resources, or corrections needed, and I'll take care of it soon. Ken