Your yard is already doing something. The question is just — what?
Many of the plants we've grown to love in our landscapes are beautiful to us, but largely invisible to the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds that need our help. The good news? Swapping them out is easier than you think — and the results are stunning.
For every common landscape plant, there's a native that does so much more
Native plants evolved alongside our local pollinators over thousands of years. They speak the same language. A monarch butterfly doesn't just prefer milkweed — it can only lay its eggs on milkweed. When we plant natives, we're not just adding flowers, we're restoring relationships.
Here's where to start:
Four simple steps
Learn what you have. The PictureThis app makes it easy to identify plants in your yard with a quick photo — native or not.
Stop adding non-natives. The next time you're at a garden center, reach for a native. Every new plant is a choice.
Remove what's there (mostly). Most non-native plants can be pulled or cut back. The one exception: Japanese Knotweed, which requires specialized treatment — don't go it alone on that one.
Start planting. You don't need to redo everything at once. One bed, one corner, one plant. Every native in the ground is a win.
Ready to dig in?
Our Pollinator Toolkit helps you choose the right plants for your specific conditions — sun, shade, wet, dry — and plan a garden that supports pollinators all season long.
Where to buy native plants
Not sure where to find them? These nurseries specialize in exactly what you need:
Ships to your door
- Green Mountain Natives
- Amanda's Native Garden
- Wild Ridge Plants
- Prairie Nursery
- Direct Natives Plants
- Joyful Butterfly
- Prairie Moon Nursery
- Ernst Seeds
Local pickup
- Native Plant Trust — Wayland, Massachusetts
- Bagley Pond Perennials — Warner, New Hampshire
- Fasset Farm Nursery — New Hampshire
- Hummingbird Natives
- Blue Stem Natives
- The Monarch Gardener — Ipswich, Massachusetts
- Wolf Hill Nursery — Ipswich, Massachusetts
Your yard is already part of the ecosystem. Let's make it count. 🌿
A big thank you to Nate Whitmer for sharing his expertise on native plants and invasive species, and to CHALK Gallery for hosting community conversations that inspire us all to think differently about our yards. This article was inspired by Nate's presentation “Let's Talk About Plants.”
