Native Plant Books

There are HUNDREDS of books about native plants to help inspire and guide our native plant journeys. Here are some of The Plant Native‘s favorites.

Best Native Gardening Books

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Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants

Doug Tallamy, 2013

This book was a huge reason why native planting has taken off in suburbia. Doug makes a strong case for replacing lawns with native gardens. An easy, must-read.

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Pollinator Victory Garden

Kim Eierman, 2020

A lovely, photo-filled guide for what to plant and why to plant it. Kim gives great seasonally-specific recommendations for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.

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Botanica North America

Marjorie Harris, 2003

A coffee-table book for history lovers! Marjorie tells fascinating stories about native plants (did you know the Lakota used Little Bluestem in their moccasins?)

Best Books for Midwest Native Plants

Got Sun? 200 Best Native Plants for Your Garden

Carolyn Harstad, 2013

Carolyn’s writing feels like you have a friend beside you, chatting over coffee. A great resource for Midwestern gardens.

Go Native! Gardening with Native Plants and Wildflowers in the Lower Midwest

Carolyn Harstad, 1999

Such a fun book to read, although with few pictures in color.

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The Midwest Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden

Alan Branhagen, 2020

Like the other books in this series, this offers photo-filled portraits of individual native plants. Good for easy inspiration.

Best Books for Northeast Native Plants

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A Northerner’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators

Lorraine Johnson and Sheila Colla, 2023

Easy to read with lots of pictures. Recently published with lots of gardening ideas for Northeast gardeners.

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Deer-Resistant Native Plants for the Northeast

Ruth Rogers and Gregory D. Tepper, 2023

Tons of pictures and clearly organized, if you’re worried about deer—this one is for you.

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The Northeast Native Plant Primer: 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden

Uli Lorimer, 2022

Tons of pictures, and easily organized to focus on singular plants. A quick and inspiring resource.

Best Books for Southern Native Plants

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The Southeast Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden

Larry Mellichamp and Paula Gross, 2020

With tons of pictures and easily organized, this is a great source of inspiration for Southeast gardeners.

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Best Native Plants for Southern Gardens

Gil Nelson, 2010

Gil is an expert, and it shows in this incredible compendium of southern plants. It’s filled with lots of images to help it from being too overwhelming.

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Gardening with Native Plants of the South

Sally Wasowski and Andy Wasowski, 2020

Originally published in 1994 and updated in 2020, this book has lots of pictures of gardens—not just individual plants.

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