Somewhere near you, a room full of lovely, impassioned people is happily arguing about milkweed. You’ll find them at a native plant society. Nearly every state and Canadian province has one, often alongside a Wild Ones chapter, and membership usually runs an astonishingly affordable $20 to $40 a year.
What you get for membership is info, access, and inspiration. You’ll find invitations to plant sales full of things big box stores have never heard of, and members who will tell you exactly which aster made it through their clay. Their Facebook groups are like having access to the most incredible garden coaches, filled with specific tips for your exact area.
I am not the least bit embarrassed to share that I belong to five different native plant societies. Sadly, most do not send a physical membership card that I can proudly show off to strangers. Regardless of the lack of merch, I feel I’ve found my people. Time for you to find yours:
United States
Arizona
Arizona Native Plant Society
Facebook · YouTube
Wild Ones Northwest Arizona Chapter
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Southwest
Arkansas
Arkansas Native Plant Society
Facebook · YouTube
Wild Ones chapters in Arkansas
Plants for your yard: native plants for the South
California
California Native Plant Society
Facebook · Instagram
California is 163,000+ square miles, so of course it has a few sub-chapters, organized by region:
East Bay chapter
Sacramento Valley chapter
San Diego chapter
Santa Cruz chapter
Santa Clara chapter
SLO chapter
Wild Ones chapters in California
Plants for your yard: native plants for California and Nevada
Colorado
Colorado Native Plant Society
Facebook
Wild Ones chapters in Colorado
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Southwest
Connecticut
Connecticut Botanical Society
Facebook
Wild Ones chapters in Connecticut
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Northeast
Delaware
Delaware Native Plant Society
Facebook
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Mid-Atlantic
District of Columbia
Botanical Society of Washington
YouTube
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Mid-Atlantic
Florida
Florida Native Plant Society
Facebook · YouTube
Florida has multiple chapters of the Native Plant Society, organized by region. Find your regional chapter here.
Plants for your yard: native plants for the South
Idaho
Idaho Native Plant Society
Facebook · YouTube
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Northwest
Illinois
Illinois Native Plant Society
Facebook
Wild Ones chapters in Illinois
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Midwest
Indiana
Indiana Native Plant Society
Facebook · YouTube
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Midwest
Kentucky
Kentucky Native Plant Society
Facebook · Instagram · YouTube
Wild Ones chapters in Kentucky
Plants for your yard: native plants for the South
Louisiana
Louisiana Native Plant Society
Facebook
Wild Ones chapters in Louisiana
Regional societies
Native Plant Initiative of Greater New Orleans
Plants for your yard: native plants for the South
Maine
Maine is associated with Native Plant Trust, located in Massachusetts
Native Plant Trust
Facebook · Instagram · YouTube
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Northeast
Maryland
Maryland Native Plant Society
Facebook · YouTube
Wild Ones chapters in Maryland
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Mid-Atlantic
Massachusetts
Grow Native Massachusetts
Facebook
Native Plant Trust
Facebook · Instagram · YouTube
Wild Ones chapters in Massachusetts
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Northeast
Michigan
Wildflower Association of Michigan
Facebook
Wild Ones chapters in Michigan
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Midwest
Minnesota
Minnesota Native Plant Society
Facebook
Wild Ones chapters in Minnesota
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Midwest
Mississippi
Mississippi Native Plant Society
Facebook
Plants for your yard: native plants for the South
Missouri
Missouri Native Plant Society
Facebook
Wild Ones chapters in Missouri
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Midwest
Montana
Montana Native Plant Society
Facebook · YouTube
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Northwest
Nevada
Nevada Native Plant Society
Facebook
Plants for your yard: native plants for California and Nevada
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is associated with Native Plant Trust, located in Massachusetts
Native Plant Trust
Facebook · Instagram · YouTube
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Northeast
New Jersey
The Native Plant Society of New Jersey
Facebook · YouTube
Wild Ones chapters in New Jersey
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Mid-Atlantic
New Mexico
Native Plant Society of New Mexico
Facebook · Instagram
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Southwest
New York
New York State has a few statewide options alongside local societies.
Statewide
New York Flora Association
Facebook · Instagram
Wild Ones chapters in New York
Local societies
Finger Lakes Native Plant Society
Native Plant Society of Staten Island
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Northeast
North Carolina
North Carolina Native Plant Society
Facebook · YouTube
North Carolina Native Plant Society also has chapters, organized by region. Find your chapter here.
Wild Ones chapters in North Carolina
Plants for your yard: native plants for the South
Ohio
The Native Plant Society of northeastern Ohio
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Midwest
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Native Plant Society
Facebook
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Southwest
Oregon
Native Plant Society of Oregon
Facebook
Native Plant Society of Oregon Portland Chapter
Oregon also has chapters, organized by region. Find your chapter here.
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Northwest
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Native Plant Society
Facebook
Wild Ones chapters in Pennsylvania
Regional societies
Botanical Society of Western Pennsylvania
Delaware valley fern & Wildflower Society
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Mid-Atlantic
Rhode Island
Rhode Island Wild Plant Society
Wild Ones chapters in Rhode Island
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Northeast
South Carolina
South Carolina Native Plant Society
Facebook
Wild Ones chapters in South Carolina
Plants for your yard: native plants for the South
South Dakota
Great Plains Native Plant Society
Wild Ones chapters in South Dakota
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Midwest
Tennessee
Tennessee Native Plant Society
Facebook · Instagram · YouTube
Wild Ones chapters in Tennessee
Plants for your yard: native plants for the South
Texas
Native Plant Society of Texas
Facebook · YouTube
Texas is a HUGE state; there are also local chapters organized by region. Find your chapter here.
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Southwest
Vermont
Vermont is associated with Native Plant Trust, located in Massachusetts
Native Plant Trust
Facebook · Instagram · YouTube
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Northeast
Virginia
Virginia Native Plant Society
Facebook · Instagram
Wild Ones chapters in Virginia
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Mid-Atlantic
Washington
Washington Native Plant Society
Facebook · Instagram
Wild Ones chapters in Washington
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Northwest
West Virginia
West Virginia Native Plant Society
Facebook · Instagram
Wild Ones chapters in West Virginia
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Mid-Atlantic
Wisconsin
Botanical Club of Wisconsin
Facebook
Wild Ones chapters in Wisconsin
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Midwest
Wyoming
Wyoming Native Plant Society
Facebook · Instagram
Plants for your yard: native plants for the Northwest
Canada
Alberta
British Columbia
New Brunswick
Newfoundland & Labrador
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Looking for native plants by region?
Your society knows your county. Our regional guides cover the rest of the map.
Join one, go to one plant sale, and say yes when somebody offers you a division from their yard. That’s how a surprising number of native gardens start: a stranger, a plastic pot and a plant with a story. You’ll also find people who want a gorgeous yard that feeds butterflies and birds, for way less work than a lawn.
More ways
A few more places to look
Local Facebook groups
Search your state or county plus “native plants.” Members post sales, swaps and free divisions from their own yards.
Seed swaps + seed libraries
Many public libraries lend seeds like books. Plant them, save a few, bring some back.
Explore native plant profiles
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Dogwoods
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Lilies
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Mountain Laurels
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Grasses and Sedges
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Sneezeweed
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Hydrangeas
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Irises
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Goldenrods
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Coneflowers
Other native plant resources
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