Using Native Plants for Gardening
Where do you get locally native plants?
Once you have determined what locally native plants would grow well in your garden, you are left with another challenge: finding a place where you can obtain or purchase them. Fortunately, the demand for native plants is steadily increasing and many nurseries now specialize in native plants, while others carry a selection of natives along with non-native ornamentals.
Here are a few tips on how to find locally native plants, and how you can encourage an increasing availability of native plants in the future:
Scarlet monkeyflower by a backyard
pond. (Norm Jensen)Contact local plant nurseries. Ask the staff if they have a selection of native plants. If they do, show your appreciation for this. Ask about the source of the plant material and the propagation method used by the nursery. Ideally, the plants would be propagated from source material (e.g., seeds or cuttings) within your ecoregion. See the NPSO policy on ethical propagation methods for a further discussion on propagation techniques.
See the NPSO Chapters page to get contacts for your local chapter. Many NPSO members are active native plant gardeners, and know sources for locally native plants.
Transplanting native plants from a natural habitat to your garden is discouraged because it can damage natural plant communities. In addition, state law forbids the collection of many plant species.
Websites
References
City of Portland Bureau of Planning. 1997. Portland environmental handbook.
Kruckeberg, A.R. 1996. Gardening with native plants of the Pacific Northwest. Second edition, revised and enlarged. University of Washington Press, Seattle, WA, USA.
Pater, D.E., S.A. Bryce, T.D. Thorson, J. Kagan, C. Chappel, J.M. Omernik, S.H. Azevedo, and A.J. Woods. 1998. Ecoregions of Western Washington and Oregon (2 sided color poster with map, descriptive text, summary tables, and photographs). Reston, VA, USA. U.S. Department of Interior, Geological Survey (map scale: 1:1,350,000. ISBN 0-607-89571-3.
Rose, R., C.E. Chachulski, and D.L. Haase. 1998. Propagation of Pacific Northwest native plants. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR, USA.
Wilson, M.V, D.E. Hibbs, and E.R. Alverson. 1991. Native plants, native ecosystems, and native landscapes: an ecological definition of native will promote effective conservation and restoration. Kalmiopsis:13-17.
