Longtime readers will know that here at Gardzen we’re big fans of native plants and native plant gardening. The Gardzen Test Gardens are home to many plants which are native to the Southeastern USA, and we’re grateful to have them growing in our space. Native plant gardening comes with some questions, including “where do we get native plants for our gardens?”. There’s an interesting spin-off question: can we collect native plants in the wild and transplant them into our garden spaces? That’s a very good question with a relatively complex answer, so let’s dig in!
What Do We Mean By “Native Plants”?
Native plants are plants that are native to the region or area in which our gardens are located. It’s important not to confuse “native plants” with “plants growing wild around us”; many plants we commonly see growing wild in fields and forests or even just on our lawns are actually introduced species from around the world. This doesn’t make them bad—there are no bad plants—but it does make them a plant in the wrong place. With a native plant garden, the goal is to support and foster true biodiversity and celebrate the unique character of the places where we live and garden.
Can We Gather and Transplant Native Plants for Our Gardens?
The TL;DR answers to this question are “maybe” and “exercise caution and discretion”. The reasons for this are twofold: some native plants are protected by law and shouldn’t be gathered or harvested in order to preserve wild populations. Sometimes we may need permits in order to be legally harvested. It’s best to check carefully and learn the legal and regulatory issues before gathering wild plants. As a further complication, some plants may not be protected in the same ways, but they may be located such that transplanting them would create other issues.
Let’s explore that a little further. One of the sad things we face as gardeners is that human agriculture has changed our native landscapes such that many native plants are now endangered. Wild populations are legally protected because disturbing them can threaten their ongoing existence in that particular place. So when we find a stand or patch of a native plant, leaving it along (and perhaps notifying your local cooperative extension) may be the best thing to do.
Even plants that aren’t endangered should generally be left alone. They grow where they are for a reason: it’s generally a set of conditions that helps foster their growth but also one to which they contribute by supporting other species of plants, pollinators, and animals. Removing them may disrupt that balance, so again we suggest exercising caution.
Where Can We Get Native Plants for Our Gardens?
We’re not saying that we should never transplant natives from the wild into our gardens. If a given site is up for development or another use that would destroying the native flora, it may be time to salvage what you can. There are other good sources, too. Many of us have a local nursery that offers native plants in seedling form and that can be a great way to get started. Likewise, your local garden club may have other members who are interested in local plant gardening and have a supply of native plants they can share. There are reputable sources for native plants online as seeds or seedlings, but as always we recommend doing a bit of research to ensure that you’re getting an ethically produced, high quality product. And, as always, our local cooperative extension offices are a great source of information and will likely know of sources for native plants that you can transplant into your garden.
As things change around us, gardening is more important than ever. We hope you’ll consider adding more native plants to your garden space this year, and we hope this blog helps you do so in an eco-friendly way. If you have a good source of native plants, or a native plant garden success story you’d like to share, please pass them along. Likewise if you have any questions reach out and we’ll do our best to answer them. Gardzen is all about community and we love to hear from you!
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