Right Plant Right Place
All plants, including native species, have specific cultural requirements, and if planted in the wrong place will struggle to survive. Purchase plants armed with knowledge of what your garden has to offer, and choose plants based not only on their looks, but also on their cultural needs. The goal is to place plants where they will require no supplemental irrigation or fertilization once established.
Some conditions to keep in mind when selecting landscape plants include:
- light availability, intensity and duration (full sun to deep shade)
- water availability, both quantity and quality
- soil type, drainage, compaction
- available space – always plant for the mature size of the plant!
- season of bloom – native gardens should have blooms from spring through fall to support pollinators
- color and shape of bloom – insects and birds are attracted to specific plants
- benefits to wildlife
There are plenty of places to look for inspiration, many local parks and nature centers have beautiful native gardens and prairies. Be sure to download a few apps for plant identification. The library is a wonderful resource for books, both paper and ebooks.
Plant Finders & Lists
- Online Virtual Flora of Wisconsin – This is the ultimate authority for all Wisconsin vegetation. Just search for a plant and the entry will tell you if it’s native and where it was found.
- USDA PLANTS Database – The PLANTS Database provides standardized information, including native status, for all vegetation in the U.S. and its territories.
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plants Database – Information includes characteristics, best growing conditions, and wildlife benefits.
- Audubon Native Plant Finder – Input your zip code to get location based recommendations for native plants. This database also provides information on the native birds these plants support.
- National Wildlife Federation Plant Finder – This database recommends native plants based on your zip code and ranks them by the number of butterflies and moths that use each species as a host.
- Xerces Society – Pollinator Conservation Resources: Great Lakes Region – region-specific collections of publications, native plant and seed suppliers, and other resources to aid in planning, establishing, restoring, and maintaining pollinator habitat—as well as materials to help you learn about the species of invertebrates and native plants you might encounter.
- Southeast Wisconsin Master Gardeners – Native Plants – Handy two page pdf with bloom time, bloom color, height and wildlife supported. Great for taking along when plant shopping!
Garden Designs
- Native Plants for the Small Yard: Easy, Beautiful Home Gardens that Support the Local Ecology – Free ebook by Kate Brandes: Information on the best native plants for small spaces, including nine different design templates that can be used as is or modified
- Easy Landscape Plans – Grow Native! / Missouri Prairie Foundation: Design ideas for smaller scale plantings using native plants. Not all plants will work in Wisconsin, be sure to check the hardiness zone information.
- Wild Ones Garden Designs – Includes designs for Milwaukee, Chicago, Toledo and Grand Rapids.
- Michigan Native Garden Design – Michigan Audubon Association
- Designing Natural Landscapes: Garden Design with Native Prairie Plants – Prairie Nursery