• In any given location on earth, plants either evolved in the area for thousands of years: native plants, or were imported from elsewhere: non-native plants. Non-native plants are much less likely to be important food & housing sources for the insects, birds, and mammals that live there.

  • The leaves of plants contain chemical compounds that make them hard to digest (or even toxic), a defense mechanism plants use to make sure they are not completely eaten. Over the eons of co-existing, native pollinators have developed specialized enzymes to digest the leaves of specific native plants.

    In the absence of native plants, local pollinators experience “food deserts.” They are then forced to fly further and further (expending much energy) to find appropriate places to lay their eggs and secure the success of the next generation.

  • Visit this search tool and enter your zip code: Native Plant Finder

  • Doug Tallamy, one of the leaders of the native plant movement, recommends using at least 70 percent native plants and up to 30 percent non-native plants. Maximizing the percentage of native plants in your landscape is ideal, but some non-native plants, such as lavenders and mints, can still be fantastic nectar and/or pollen sources for pollinators. Books like the Xerces Society’s Gardening for Butterflies have good information on this.

  • Every single plant helps, but the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation recommends a goal of at least 12 different species, with ideally 3 plants per species. It is okay to build up to this goal over time!

    Doug Tallamy encourages each of us to dedicate 50% of our lawn to local pollinators and other wildlife over time.

    The perennials we source typically like to be spaced 12 to 18 inches apart. So, one order of 12 perennials is expected to take up 12 to 27 square feet. While growers often recommend 18 inches of separation between plants, many landscapers recommend placing them closer together (12 inches) to limit room for weeds to grow between plants.

    Native shrubs and trees utilize space differently and each have their own instructions for optimal planting.

  • The easiest way to research a plant is to go to Google and type “BONAP [botanical name].” If it doesn’t show up, it’s not native. If it does show up, you can click on the map to see more detailed information on its North American range.

  • For millennia, Cherokee, Yuchi, and Shawnee tribes in what is now called the greater Nashville area relied on and cared for the plants we are attempting to bring back to our yards. Some examples of local plant names that Cherokee have ancient words for: redbuds are galowedi, plums are quanvyunsdi, mulberries are kuwa, maple trees are tlvhwaliga, and blackberries are kanugatli.

    Today, indigenous groups safeguard about 80% of Earth's remaining plant and animal species, according to the World Bank. We are grateful for their continuing relationship with the land, both locally and globally!

  • Oftentimes, like the gorgeous prairie remnants in the photos on this page.

  • When they are hungry enough, yes. We’ve found that certain plants like boneset and mountain mint will remain untouched, but many others will not.

    While rabbits are generally deterred by placing a 24-inch chickenwire fence around your plants, deer are more persistent. If you live in an area where deer regularly hang out in your yard, you may want to consider fencing off certain parts of your yard.

  • Invasive plants are non-native plants that grow rapidly and take over sunlight and nutrients in the soil from other plants. They typically do not have local natural enemies - they don’t get eaten by insects or other wildlife. This allows them to grow uncontrollably. These plants are essential to remove from your yard.

    A few examples that crop up frequently in our area are privet, bush honeysuckle, creeping charlie/ground ivy, and stiltgrass. Rose of Sharon, burning bush (nandinas), English ivy, wintercreeper, non-native wisteria, and autumn clematis are gardening plants still sold in nurseries despite being listed as invasive in Tennessee.

  • Not in the technical sense, but in gardening terms, some natives can be “highly competitive,” depending on the soil and light conditions they are planted in. Common milkweed is one example - it needs room to spread out over its long lifespan, and will hoard nutrients from most surrounding perennials, eventually crowding them out. Some species are well-behaved in regions that experience cold winters, but highly competitive in our warm Southern climate.

    Prairie Moon Nursery has a list of Recommended but Aggressive natives that is worth a visit when you start delving deeper into mixing species in your garden. Note that they only list a few species out of the 660 that they sell, and they have been working with these plants for over 40 years.

  • More nurseries and garden centers are starting to carry natives for their regions! Sometimes a few species will even pop up at local or chain hardware stores if you know what to look for. Wonder Gift & Garden is a dedicated native plant store in the Nashville area!

    If you’re interested in seeds, Roundstone in Kentucky is well known for their high quality.

    The Wilson County Master Gardeners hold a spring native plant sale at Cedars of Lebanon State Park, and the Wild Ones of Middle Tennessee run spring & fall sales.

    Many online native nurseries sell plants direct to the public, including Ironweed Plant Nursery in KY, Missouri Wildflowers Nursery, Prairie Moon Nursery in MN, and Pollen Nation in NJ.

  • Print out this PDF written by Tennessee Naturalist Joanna Brichetto.

  • Yes! Habitat Landscapes, Nashville Foodscapes, Three Trees Landscaping, and Madscapes all use native plants.

    You can also contact Habitat Connection for an affordable native plant consultation to develop a certified Bird Sanctuary in your yard!

  • No. No yard fogging product currently exists on the market that does not kill all the insects in an area indiscriminately, including butterflies, fireflies, bees, praying mantis, and the hundreds of insect food sources for creatures higher up the food chain (like frogs and hummingbirds).

    Your best best is to create a “Mosquito Bucket of Doom” once nighttime temperatures start hitting 50 degrees in the spring through late fall. You can also add mosquito pellets to rain barrels. Just set a bi-weekly alarm on your phone calendar/reminders. It really works!

  • Mostly no! Almost everyone gets very excited when they start learning about them. For those who think a natural aesthetic is too unruly, here is a positive story of two homeowners who won a lawsuit against their HOA and changed Maryland state law.

What about native trees?

  • Because of their size and longevity, trees are crucial for the survival of our ecosystems. A single mature oak supports over 500 species of moths, butterflies, bees, birds, and mammals!

  • It turns out caterpillars are an essential part of the cycle of life all around us. Their protein-rich bodies are the most nutritious (bird) food available. When feeding their babies, our feathered friends need soft, high-density food to place into their baby’s throats. And they need lots of it! In terms of nutritious content, one caterpillar is the equivalent of approximately 200 aphids. To put this into perspective: chickadees need 6,000-9,000 caterpillars to raise one brood of their young. Beyond birds, many other creatures, from insects to turtles, rely on caterpillars for nutrition.

    If you are curious to learn how many (and which) caterpillar species are supported by different plants, check out the National Wildlife Federation’s Native Plant Finder, a tool we use when deciding which plants to offer at our buy-ins.

  • Specific native trees, even more so than perennials, grasses, and shrubs, are host plants for many different caterpillar species. In our area, butterflies and moths lay their eggs on native:

    oak - cherry - plum - peach - willow - maple - hickory - pecan - cottonwood - poplar

    and others, and their babies eat the leaves of these specific trees until they are ready to pupate. To have enough caterpillars to both feed the baby birds and allow many caterpillars reach adulthood, planting native trees (in addition to perennials, shrubs, and grasses) is essential! You have probably also heard about “Leave the leaves” underneath trees in fall, to ensure all overwintering insect species have insulation and homes for their young.

  • There are excellent local groups like Root Nashville or Nashville Tree Conservation Corps that can help bring these sources of life to your yard. Sometimes they will deliver them to you. Visit our Explore page for other Nashville sources for free trees and tree planting opportunities around the city. We also list local nurseries that carry many gorgeous native tree specimens.

  • Many people worry about this when trees are older, especially given Nashville’s powerful winds. Doug Tallamy advises the following:

    “Few arborists would suggest planting trees on a three-foot center, but if we planted our trees in groups of three or more on ten-foot centers, the resulting root matrix would keep them locked in place through thick and thin. None of the trees would develop into a single majestic specimen tree, but together they would form a single grove of trees that the eye will take in just as if they were one large tree. Planting tree groves will also protect against the domino effect. Every time we take down a tree, we make the remaining trees more vulnerable to straight-line winds. There is one catch to this approach, however: the trees must be planted young, so their roots can interlock as they grow.”

    Trees, like humans, are not meant to grow alone!

Dig deeper: