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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
