Nurseries and Seed Sources

The nurseries listed here are good suppliers of native plant material, based on our research and site visits. Our decision to include them is an independent editorial one; they are not paying for advertising. We include a broad diversity of suppliers, to serve the different needs of both amateur gardeners and professional landscapers— everything from small one-person operations to large nurseries selling millions of plants each year. If a nursery is both wholesale and retail, we list it under the retail category since these nurseries are open to anyone.

There is no single nursery with a comprehensive supply of native species in all sizes, so expect to use a variety of sources. We highly recommend contacting any nursery ahead of time to check their availability. To find even more nurseries in our region that carry native plants, plus notes on growers' pesticide use (when known), explore this spreadsheet compiled by Mass Pollinator Network.

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For more opportunities to buy native plants, check out our Native Plant Pop-Up Markets.

Retail: Small, Very Small & Specialty Nurseries

These are small nurseries that either have limited hours, are open only by appointment, or are exclusively mail order. Some of these suppliers grow straight-species New England genotype native plants as a part, if not all, of their offerings. It is essential to check their websites to learn how they operate and the best methods for purchasing plants.

1 Acre of Trees Nursery

Primarily native woody plants, available in kits. Order online for delivery or pick-up.

A bare root, air pruned, plastic free tree and shrub nursery in Boston Metro-West. 1 Acre of Trees Nursery grows New England native and non-native/non-invasive fruit and nut trees and woody perennials primarily from ecoregion 59 seeds, sold as pocket forest and hedgerow kits. Plants are typically available in autumn.

Bagley Pond Perennials

Primarily native. Mail order, shipping from June to September.

Offering a limited number of New England wildflowers, all grown from seed, all straight species plants and no cultivars. Customers can e-mail the nursery to arrange orders for pickup. They also sell at farmer’s markets in New Hampshire.

Bas Rouge Farm & Forge

Exclusively native. Sell at farmers markets. Check website for details. Online seed sales (fall).

Small farm selling straight species herbaceous plants, woody shrubs, sapling trees, and seeds native to Maine and the Northeast, using organic methods. Plants sold at the Orono & Bangor Farmers' Markets, and native plant sales throughout ME. Offering design consulting, public presentations, and educational programming. Services in English/Spanish.

Blue Stem Natives

Exclusively native. Open seasonally May through October. Check website for details.

They offer more than 250 species including flowering perennials, ferns, vines, grasses, shrubs, and trees, as well as seeds. Their inventory is published online. Some species are grown from seed; others from stock supplied by wholesale sources.

Butterfly Effect Farm

Exclusively native. Open seasonally. Check site for hours. Online ordering also available.

Located minutes from Horseneck Beach, this farm offers over 100 native species, primarily New England ecotype and grown from seed. They have a large selection of pollinator perennials as well as grasses, ferns, and a growing number of keystone shrubs and trees. Bulk discount available.

Checkerspot Farm

Exclusively native. Open weekends from June to October, or by appointment.

Located on an old farmstead, this small nursery offers around 80 species of seed grown plants, primarily wildflowers and grasses. Pot sizes range from 2” to ¾ gal. Check out their fun wildflower concert t-shirts.

City Natives

Primarily native. Open seasonally. Email to make an appointment, as hours of operation vary.

City Natives is The Trustees’ native plant nursery. They grow and sell plants native to the eastern US, offering a selection of plants well-suited to urban and suburban gardens, as well as fruit trees and shrubs (not all native) and veggie starts. Check out their annual sales in spring and fall.

Earth Tones Native Plants

Exclusively native. Open 6 days per week during the growing season (closed Mondays.)

This is one of the largest of the small nurseries, a trek from Massachusetts, but worth it! They grow and sell several hundred species, herbaceous and woody, all propagated from wild collected seed. Sizes range from 1 quart to 5 gallon. A respected source with a landscape architect and a wetlands ecologist on staff.

Helia Native Nursery

Exclusively native. Open only one day per week.

A small nursery growing some of its plants from seed harvested in the Berkshire-Taconic region. Selling many perennials, sedges, grasses and ferns, and some woody plants in small sizes. They also offer seed mixes and educational programs.

Hilltop Natives

Exclusively native. Pop up sales on site and at farmers markets. Check site for details.

Woman-owned nursery with a growing selection of plants native to ecoregion 59. Garden coaching also available.

Hummingbird Natives

Exclusively native. Open daily Jun - Oct at Old Stone Farm. Order online for pick up.

Specializing in plants native to the Northeast with a focus on local ecotypes. All herbaceous plants are grown from seed and available in various sizes. First year seedlings and more mature plants are available. Limited shrubs and trees sourced from other native nurseries. Plants sold at the Marblehead, MA farmers market.

King's Tree Farm & Nursery

Many natives. Open seasonally Friday-Sunday, 9-5.

Specializes in native shrubs and trees, with a growing perennial selection. Plants are grown organically, without pesticides or chemicals. Visitors are welcome to explore their oasis in the woods.

Lady Fern Farm

Exclusively native. Pop up sales at farmers markets and local events. Check site for details.

Selection includes over 50 species of seed grown plants, primarily perennials and shrubs, in small pots or as plugs. Also offer garden consultations and seed sowing workshops.

Mystic Meadows Gardens

Straight species natives available for pick up at nursery or select farmers markets.

Native plants grown in MA by a NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professional. No chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, rodenticides, or aivicides are ever used.

Natural Companions

Primarily native. Order online for pick up.

Natural Companions is a nonprofit nursery and restoration organization working with ecoDesigns. The nursery offers organically grown regional ecotype plants, and locally collected ecotype seeds, along with permaculture herbs and edibles. See the website for current plant inventory or schedule a personalized tour.

Northeast Pollinator Plants

Mail order sales only. E-mail to discuss availability and orders.

A regional provider of native and naturalized perennials. They ship only to New England states and New York. In addition to individual species, they sell some "collections" for rain gardens, wet meadows, part shade, etc.

Oakhaven Sanctuary

Exclusively native. Open seasonally. Check site for availability and hours.

A small nursery with many species for sale, all organically grown. In addition to wildflowers, ferns, sedges and aquatic plants, they have a broad selection of woody plants. Run by a professional botanist specializing in wetlands ecology and restorations.

Prickly Ed’s Cactus Patch Native Plant Emporium

Primarily native. Open seasonally Apr - Oct. Limited hours. Contact for special orders.

Located right on the MA/RI border, this roadside stand offers native plant plugs in the spring as well as perennials and shrubs in containers throughout the growing season.

Red Trillium Gardens

Exclusively native. Sales at farmers markets and local events. Check site for details.

Sustainably-grown, affordable plants propagated primarily from seed collected locally or sourced from reputable providers. Committed to putting the native plants of New England into the hands, hearts, and minds of everyday local folks.

Rewild Native Plant Nursery

Exclusively native. Open seasonally. Check website for hours and directions.

A small, specialty nursery focusing on plants that are native to Connecticut and the northeast. Most of their plants are grown from locally collected seed using organic methods. They also offer garden consultations.

Salem Native Nursery

Exclusively native. Saturday sales during the summer and open by appointment year-round.

Nonprofit organization offering over 50 species of pesticide free native trees, shrubs, and perennials found in woodland and wetland habitats. Proceeds from sales support local environment projects in public spaces.

Shinleaf Native Plants

Exclusively native. Open seasonally, plus sales at farmer's markets. Check site for details.

Located in the foothills of the Green Mountains, this small nursery offers seed-grown, straight species perennials in biodegradable pots. Plants are grown organically, without pesticides or chemicals.

Swampdog Farm Native Plants

Primarily native. Sells at select farmers markets and open seasonally. Email to make an appointment.

Small farm selling a variety of perennials, annuals, and shrubs native to New England as well as a few odds and ends. All plants are grown at the farm, mainly from local seed stock, and all native plants are straight species.

That's A Plenty Farms

Exclusively native. Open June through October by appointment.

A mature pollinator habitat, established in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in 2011. Sells a small selection of seedlings and mature plants grown from hand collected seeds (approximately 40 species). Milkweed and Monarch butterflies are a focus. Also sells seeds from the farm in their online store year-round.

The Monarch Gardener

Exclusively native. Open a few days a week seasonally, or by appointment. Check site for details.

A small nursery offering 75 native species, primarily seed-grown perennials, with an emphasis on genera that are valuable host plants for caterpillars. Pot sizes range from 1 quart to 1 gallon. A full plant inventory is available on the website.

Tree Talk Natives

  • 157 Vaughan Hill Road, North Field, Rochester, MA 02770

    703-401-1949

Exclusively native. Open seasonally. See website for hours and directions.

Tree Talk grows and sells about 80 species of woody plants, with a particularly excellent selection of trees, as well as 50 wildflower species and a few grasses and sedges. All products are grown without chemicals, and the majority are native to Ecoregion 59 (coastal northeast). Landscape design services also available.

Wing and a Prayer Nursery

Primarily native. Open May to October with limited hours, several days per week.

A small nursery growing well over 100 species. Most are native wildflowers or grasses; they also sell some woody plants grown locally by others. They have an excellent selection of plugs, including species not commonly available in a retail setting.

Retail: Large Nurseries & Garden Centers

These suppliers are larger retail operations with regular hours. The majority carry a mix of native and non-native plants. Several of these suppliers are both retail and wholesale. We have included ones with a reliable selection of natives in their inventory.

Bigelow Nurseries

Retail garden center and also a wholesale nursery.

Offering a good selection of native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, in a range of sizes from containers to B&B material. They grow many of their own plants.

Blue Moon Farm Perennials

Retail nursery.

Selling mostly perennials with a good selection of natives. Plants native to Rhode Island are identified in their catalog.

Native Plant Trust

  • Garden in the Woods | 180 Hemenway Road, Framingham, MA 01701

    508-877-7630

  • Nasami Farm | 128 North Street, Whately, MA 01093

    413-397-9922

Sells exclusively native plants at both locations. Will also contract grow some species.

Excellent selection of herbaceous plants and small woody plants. Great source for New England wildflowers, especially hard to find species such as Lady's slippers and trilliums.

Russell's Garden Center

Retail garden center.

They offer a good selection of natives, especially perennials, and they may be willing to special order a species if it’s not in stock. They carry native perennials grown by Van Berkum nursery.

Sylvan Nursery

Primarily wholesale, but open to retail customers a few days a week.

A large selection of plants in all sizes, including B&B material. Not exclusively native, but a good source especially for southeast MA and Cape gardens. Strong on sand and salt tolerant plants for coastal habitats.

Ward's Nursery & Garden Center

Retail nursery and garden center.

A garden resource serving the Berkshires, eastern New York and northwestern Connecticut, featuring an expanded selection of native perennials, shrubs, and trees.

Weston Nurseries

Wholesale nursery with several retail garden centers.

Through their Weston Rewilding initiative, they now offer a wide selection of seed grown native plants, which can be purchased at their retail locations or online. Sizes range from 1 gallon perennials up B&B trees.

Seeds & Plugs

These suppliers are mail order businesses that serve all customers, retail and wholesale. Their websites are excellent educational resources, with information about native range, light and moisture requirements, and suggestions for good companion plants.

Ernst Conservation Seeds

Seed.

The largest native seed producer and supplier in the eastern US. They sell seed, including seed mixes, for ecological restoration, stormwater management, wildlife support, cover crop use, etcetera.

Prairie Moon Nursery

Seed, plugs and bare root plants.

Over 700 species of native plants for gardening and restoration. Note: seed is collected in Minnesota and surrounding states. A sophisticated website and reliable methods for shipping product.

Toadshade Wildflower Farm

Seed and small plants.

Specializing in native northeast seed, and also selling nursery-grown perennials. Most seed is collected in New Jersey, New York, or Pennsylvania.

Wild Seed Project

New England genotype seed.

All seed collected in Maine. 100+ species of wildflowers, ferns, grasses and shrubs for a variety of habitats. Their guidebooks, magazine, and website are wonderful educational resources.

Wholesale Nurseries

Most of these wholesale nurseries sell to the trade only (landscape designers, contractors, and conservation organizations). A few of them sell to non-trade customers, but require a substantial minimum order. All of them have a good selection of natives, and identify natives in their catalogs.

Cavicchio Greenhouses, Inc.

Sales to the trade only.

Major plant (trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses, ferns and vines) supplier to landscape professionals, municipalities, and garden designers. For seasonal offerings, see their Natives catalog, which includes a species range with each description and denotes which plants are nativars.

Dragonfly Natives

Sales to the trade only.

Specialize in growing native plants from locally sourced seeds. Primarily plugs, but larger sizes also available. They sell to restoration and conservation projects, landscapers, and retail native plant outlets.

Dragonfly Nurseries

Order online for pick-up.

Supplies ecotypic and cultivar native plants to landscape professionals, restoration ecologists, municipalities, and others who support native plants in residential gardens as well as native habitat restoration. Collaborates closely with local native seed and plug suppliers to strengthen our nurseries’ ecological network.

New England Wetland Plants

Minimum order = $250.

Wetland plants for large-scale installations and restoration projects, grown from locally collected seed. Trees and shrubs sold in gallon containers, herbaceous plants in 2" plugs sold in flats. Native seed mixes available.

New Moon Nursery

Wholesale only. Minimum order required for initial purchase.

A high-quality supplier of native landscape plugs, they grow perennials, ferns, and grasses. About 75% of their species are native to the northeast United States. Their website is a great source of information.

North Creek Nurseries

First order minimum = $500.

A wholesale propagation nursery, they grow plugs of perennials, grasses, ferns, vines and shrubs, with an emphasis on eastern US native plants (although not exclusively native). Their website is a great source of information.

Pierson Nurseries

Sales to the trade only.

Best wholesale nursery in Maine for woody native plants. An extensive selection of trees, shrubs and perennials, in sizes all the way up to B&B. Their inventory categorizes plants as "Native, Pollinator, and Bio-retention."

Planter’s Choice Nursery

Sales to the trade only.

A large generalist nursery with a good selection of native trees, shrubs and perennials, including larger B&B material. They grow wetland plants for ecological restoration projects. Several helpful lists on their website.

Sudbury Nurseries West

Minimum order = $250.

Source of trees and shrubs, including some natives propagated from locally collected seed or cuttings. Offer primarily B&B and large specimens, plus a selection of smaller container-grown woodies.

Van Berkum Nursery

Sales to the trade only.

Grower of perennials, offering the New England Woodlanders® and New England Meadows® lines, as well as a line of Local Ecotype plants grown from seed collected in NE. See their website for a list of places to buy their plants retail.

Annual Plant Sales of Note

Support conservation organizations and connect with fellow native plant aficionados at these annual sales.

City Natives

Holds spring and fall sales including many species of native plants along with vegetables and herbs. Quantities are limited. Check their website for details.

Grow Native Massachusetts

Our very own Grow Native sale has become one of the largest annual native plant sales in New England. We typically offer well over 100 species of perennial wildflowers, grasses, ferns, shrubs, trees, and vines. Members at the Advocate level and above are given advance access.

Rhode Island Wild Plant Society

This Society holds two annual plant sales, in May and early September, specializing in species native to ecoRegion 59 (New England Coastal Zone). Plants are grown by RIWPS seed starter groups or sourced from vetted wholesalers. Seeds are sourced from ReSeeding Rhode Island foundation plots or other eco59 suppliers.

Wild Seed Project

Held every year in early fall at their Native Plant Center on Turkey Hill Farm, the Wild Seed Project plant sale is an opportunity to buy a diverse array of native wildflowers, shrubs and trees – all grown from seed for resilience, biodiversity and beauty.