The Plant Native

Native gardening

Frequently Asked Questions

Explore our beginner-friendly FAQs for native gardening guidance.

What does that mean, again?

Just enough vocab

Gardening terminology can feel a little intimidating. Here’s just enough to get you in the garden.

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What is a native plant?

1,000,000+ years of growing.
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What is an invasive plant?

Villains for a reason.
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What is a host plant?

Let’s rename to Mother Plant.
Heuchera 'Peach Flambé' by Acabashi

What is a cultivar?

And why does it matter?
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Do I need to know Latin plant names?

No—but here’s when it helps.
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What does established mean in gardening?

Freshman year, for plants.

Meet the villains

Get rid of these invasives ASAP

Removing invasive plants is a part of planting native. Here are some North American good-for-nothing plants.

Got a question?

We’d love to hear it!

Explore our Native Plant Library

Heuchera 'Green-Spice' by Patrick Standish
Alum Root (Heuchera)
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American Beautyberry
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American Crabapple
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American Wisteria
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Amsonia
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Arrowwood Viburnum
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Bee Balm
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Bigleaf Lupine
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Black-Eyed Susan
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Blazing Star
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Blue Mistflower
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Blue-Eyed Grass