The Plant Native

The Plant Native If native plants can plant themselves, we can easily plant them, too. Let's plant native!

10/08/2026

I love native plants so much I went back to college.

I’m working on the Native Perennial Garden Design Certificate at Temple University Ambler — Class is mostly outside, even in the snow. Every week we learn a new group of plants, I make a zillion flashcards, and then there’s an ID test.

It’s hard and I LOVE it.

I’ll share what I learn here in plain language, so you can plant a gorgeous yard without going back to school—unless you want to join me! Shout out to my fellow classmates Kat William Hiland and ri for making it extra fun.

plantnerd

10/07/2026

Skip the Zoom calls! Cancel the meeting! GET OUTSIDE! Don’t miss the pollinators gorging themselves as the last call lights are flickered before winter arrives. It’s prime aster, goldenrod, and snakeroot o’clock for most of the eastern seaboard. Plant some today!

Blue is the unicorn of native flowers: rare, wild, and worth hunting for. The real ones (not purple imposters) pair beau...
10/03/2026

Blue is the unicorn of native flowers: rare, wild, and worth hunting for.
The real ones (not purple imposters) pair beautifully with common colors that make them pop.

What's your favorite native blue flower?

💙

Every blueberry you've ever eaten traces back to one 1911 partnership that proved native plants could have it all. Fruit...
10/02/2026

Every blueberry you've ever eaten traces back to one 1911 partnership that proved native plants could have it all.
Fruit, wildlife, fall color—zero tradeoffs.

Not all natives are native to YOUR yard. We've written over 175+ native plant profiles sorted by region so you're done g...
09/27/2026

Not all natives are native to YOUR yard.

We've written over 175+ native plant profiles sorted by region so you're done guessing.

Scroll to find your region, search by season, and land on profiles that actually match your yard's conditions and your wildlife goals.

See link in comments to get started!

09/27/2026

Native dogwoods feed butterfly caterpillars.
Non-native ones don't.
That's why Eastern flowering dogwoods are host plants for Spring Azure, Summer Azure, and dozens of other butterflies and why they belong in every native garden.

Plant native dogwoods and you're planting beauty AND the food chain butterflies need to survive.

See link in comments to learn more!

Forget mums. Plant native asters instead! It's officially fall and we're obsessed with asters.Here's why: native asters ...
09/26/2026

Forget mums. Plant native asters instead! It's officially fall and we're obsessed with asters.

Here's why: native asters are a late-season lifeline for Monarchs heading to Mexico and every other pollinator scrambling for fall nectar.
Over 160 caterpillar species depend on them too.

One small plant does so much.

In this carousel, meet four varieties—each thrives in different conditions.
Some love full sun.
Some actually thrive in shade.
Some are perfect for wet gardens.

There's an aster for your yard, whatever it looks like.

See link in comments to learn more!

09/25/2026

White. Wood. Aster. What a no-brainer for shade gardens. It looks like my garden is filled with sea foam waves from September to October. I like its sprawling wildness, but if this bugs you, you can give it a haircut in June to have a bushier shape. Do you have a shade patch and live on the eastern side of North America? This one is for you.

Spring Planting Is Your Tree's Death Sentence in Texas...We just sat down with ISA-Certified Arborist Jason Atwood (Atwo...
09/24/2026

Spring Planting Is Your Tree's Death Sentence in Texas...

We just sat down with ISA-Certified Arborist Jason Atwood (Atwood Tree Care), and he's done with the myth.
Everyone does it.
Almost everyone gets it wrong.

Here's what he's seen surprise him daily:

Trees planted in fall get months to establish their root systems before the heat of next summer hits.

Spring planting?

They're fighting heat and drought stress before they've even developed roots. Jason also shared why Texas's Arbor Day (first Friday in November) is the real planting sweet spot, what the most common tree-planting mistake looks like, and why tree topping is never the answer.

If you're planning to green up your landscape, this interview is worth 10 minutes of your time.

See full interview in comments! 🙌

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