Native Plants in Canada and Nurseries that Carry Them
Time to open my first box of new plants this year! :D
For those who would like to buy native plants for your own garden, check out the USDA site, which will show you what regions a given plant species is native to. I use it often when I find a species I’m curious about and have added many plants to my personal wishlist this way.
Just use the “basic search” on the right. Keep in mind though that the spelling of the species name has to be exact or no results will come up. Sometimes there’s disagreement on whether a species name ends in “us” “a” “is” or “um” so I sometimes just search for the genus name and go through the list that comes up to find the species.
These are the places I order from (I am in Ontario, but many of them ship elsewhere in Canada):
ALCLA Native Plants - First time ordering! They’re in Alberta but will ship elsewhere and carry a wide selection of plants, a number of which include Ontario in their natural range as well as Alberta, and some of which I haven’t found available anywhere else.
Bamboo Plants - They’re in Ontario but will ship elsewhere. They do not specialize in native plants but they do carry a number, including things like squashberry (Viburnum edule), which is very difficult to find anywhere else.
Botanus - They’re in British Columbia but will ship elsewhere. They do not specialize in native plants but they carry a few species and the ones I got were healthy. Worth giving a try.
Connon Nursery - They don’t ship, but they do have several locations in Ontario and possibly elsewhere. They don’t specialize in native plants but they do carry a large number of them. Definitely worth checking out if you drive or can get a ride.
Hidden Habitat - They don’t ship anymore, but do local delivery in their area of Ontario and offer pickups. They’re about an hour and 45 minutes away from Toronto so if you live in the GTA and can get a ride, it would be worth checking out. They have witch’s hobblebush (Viburnum lantanoides) and partridgeberry (Mitchella repens), which are hard to find anywhere else.
Hortico - First time ordering! They ship across Canada as far as I know. They don’t specialize in native plants but have a huge selection, including some that are hard to find elsewhere, such as squirrel corn (Dicentra canadensis) and fairy spuds (Claytonia virginica).
Lacewing - First time ordering! Located in the GTA. They don’t ship, sadly but if you live close to the GTA maybe you can get a ride over. So far they’re the only nursery I’ve been able to find that carries horseflyweed (Baptisia tinctoria).
Native Plants in Claremont - They only ship in multiples of 6 (and I think only in Ontario) and the plant selection they offer for that isn’t huge (but definitely worth looking at if you’re just starting out). However, their location isn’t terribly far from Toronto, so if you can get a ride out there, the selection is much wider and includes some hard to find species.
Native Plant Nurseries - First time ordering! They’ll deliver within the GTA with a minimum order between $50 and $75 (not hard to reach if you’re really trying to fill a space) and a delivery fee as well. It’s possibly less if you’re closer to their location. Very nice selection and some hard to find species such as white lettuce (Nabalus alba) and purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea).
North American Native Plant Society - First time ordering! They have a few locations and each location as I understand it has a single day to pick up in the spring. If you become a member you can pre-order plants that you pick up that day as well. They have a large number of species, some which are very hard to find, and if you become a member they offer seed exchanges.
Nutcracker Nursery - They’re in Quebec but ship elsewhere. They carry trees and bushes which they ship bare root wrapped in clay and paper for moisture. They don’t specialize in native plants, but carry a number and are thus far the only nursery I know of that carries native burning bush (Euonymus atropurpureus). Your standard burning bush (Euonymus alatus) found in most garden centres is not native and is invasive in some areas, which makes getting my hands on E. atropurpureus a priority for me, but sadly it’s not available yet this year. Hopefully soon though!
Ontario Native Plants - They only ship in Ontario, and only in multiples of 4. They have a nice selection and every year they try out a new and hard to find species. If you’re looking for appearance and aren’t specializing in edibility, I would highly recommend their new rock harlequin (Corydalis sempervirens).
Origin Native Plants - First time ordering! They’re in Ontario, not sure if they ship elsewhere. I think their minimum is 10 plants. They have a number of hard to find species, including Canada lily (Lilium canadense), wild yam (Dioscorea villosa/quaternata), and wild basil (Clinopodium vulgare).
Paramount Nursery - They have locations in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, so if you live close to any of these areas you can get a free delivery with a $100 minimum order. They don’t specialize in native plants but carry a large number, including Canada buffalo berry (Shepherdia canadensis), and bog rosemary (Andromeda polifolia).
Phoenix Perennials - They’re in British Columbia but ship Canada-wide as far as I know. They don’t specialize in native plants but have a large number, including some extremely hard to find species such as green dragon (Arisaema dracontium). They ship potted plants that they feel have grown hardy enough to survive a long trip, but there’s a greater chance of plant damage.
Prairie Originals - They’re in Manitoba and will ship elsewhere but not every year (sadly not this year). They specialize in plants native to Manitoba but many of these are native to Ontario as well. They carry a wide selection, and yes that includes some that are hard to find anywhere else.
The Pond Experts - First time ordering! They ship Canada-wide as far as I know. They don’t specialize in native plants but carry some native species, several of which are very difficult to find elsewhere, such as pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) and duck potato (Sagittaria latifolia). As many of the plants they carry are marginal plants rather than floating ones, you don’t need a pond for them, just make sure the area you put them in has poor drainage and isn’t shielded from rain. And water them extra when watering your garden. If possible, put them next to the downspout of the eavestrough.
Wild About Flowers - They’re in Alberta but ship Canada-wide as far as I know. They specialize in plants native to Alberta but many of these are native to Ontario as well. Their minimum is 8 plugs, and they’re also teamed up with Wright Nursery which is more trees and bushes and requires a minimum of 8 plugs as well.
For shipped plants, please don’t hold it against the nursery if some of them don’t make it through the journey. They’re all trying their best to make sure you get plants that will survive in your garden:
Bare root bushes are easier to stack in a long box which reduces chance of damage. It’s also very easy to dig a hole to plant them in and there’s no chance of them being root-bound. If, however, they run out of moisture on the way, they might not make it. Alternatively, being packed in clay and paper they might develop mould, which will kill them.
Plugs are extremely easy to plant, especially if you want to plant in a small space. They’re young that being mildly root bound won’t be a huge problem. They’re unlikely to be damaged in transit. However, because they’re so young and in such a small amount of soil, they can run out of moisture quickly, or perish without the sunlight. It’s also easier to mix up the species. For example, young goldenrods and asters can look very similar.
Potted plants have begun to establish themselves and so are much better able to handle a couple days without water or a week without sunlight. However, there’s a non-zero chance they’ll be extremely root-bound, which may kill them even after you’ve planted them. And it’s easier for them to get damaged in transit.
As you can see, there are benefits and drawbacks to each method, and this is reason some nurseries won’t ship live plants at all. I for one, not having a car, am grateful for those that do.
Now…to find out what’s in my box (from Hortico)!
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