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Welcome to the Ohio Native Plant website!
Spring Ephemeral Wildflowers are now covering Ohio woodlands!
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica), Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), Wood Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum), Blue-Eyed Mary (Collinsia verna), and Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)
NEW! Ohio Native Plant Posters
Five posters have been designed by native plant conservationist, Nancy Linz, to help educate the public about what native plants are, and why they are so important. Please download these posters and use them in classrooms, nature centers, nursery and retail outlets to teach people about native plants.
The first three posters discuss why native plants are unique and different from other green plants, and why they are crucial to the survival of native bees, birds, butterflies, caterpillars, other wildlife, and the overall health of our fragile environment.
The fourth poster discuss what we can all do in our yard and community to make a difference. And the fifth poster explains the types of native plants to consider planting to provide food and shelter for wildlife from early spring through winter, plants to support habitats in different plant strata from tall trees to grasses, and the best plants to plant for different types of pollinators.
These 5 posters have been designed to be printed in 4 sizes: 11” x 17”, 14” x 20”, 18” x 24”, and 26” x 48”. To download these posters, click on the button below.
On July 18, 2019, Governor Mike DeWine signed a bill into law designating April as Ohio Native Plant Month. This made Ohio the first state in the country to have a law recognizing the importance of native plants for an entire month!
2023 Special Proclamation for Native Plants in Ohio!!!
During the fall of 2022, The Garden Club of America launched an initiative working with their members across the country to request proclamations from all 50 Governors to make April 2023 Native Plant Month in every state! Though Ohio already has a law, we did not want to be left out! So a Special Native Plant Proclamation was approved by Governor DeWine to reinforce our commitment to the importance of native plants in Ohio.
This proclamation is a matter of public record and may be copied and forwarded to groups across Ohio.
April 2024 is National Native Plant Month!
On March 20, 2024, the Senate approved a resolution by unanimous consent to make April 2024 National Native Plant Month! This is the 4th year for a Senate Resolution dedicated to native plants. Thank you Senators Braun and Hirono for co-sponsoring this important bipartisan legislation! To learn more about this resolution, and to see a list of the 213 organizations supporting the resolution this year, click the button below.
Where Can You Buy Native Plants? See Our New Map!
Instead of the long list of growers we had in the past, we now have an interactive map that shows where native plant providers are located across Ohio. Click on the pin to find an address, phone number, website, and more.
Plant a Pollinator Garden!
Do you have a small area of lawn that you would like to convert into a Pollinator Garden full of native perennials to attract bees, butterflies, and other wildlife?
Grey-headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
Why are Native Plants so Very Important?
Ohio Native Plants of Distinction!
Starting in 2022, we highlighted four GREAT Ohio native plants including the Bur Oak (large canopy tree), Eastern Redbud (understory tree), Northern Spicebush (woody shrub), and Purple Coneflower (Perennial). In 2023, we added the Sugar Maple (large canopy tree), PawPaw (understory tree, and our Ohio Native Fruit), Virginia Bluebells (early-flowering perennial), and Swamp Milkweed (an amazing native milkweed for mid-summer pollinators).
In 2024 the Ohio Native Plants of Distinction are the Wood Poppy, Winterberry Holly, Tulip Poplar, and the native Honeysuckle Vine. Learn about all these great Ohio Native Plants and consider adding them to your gardens to support birds, bees, caterpillars, and other wildlife.
Ohio Native Plants of Distinction for
2024
Ohio Planted Over 1/2 Million Native Trees in 2020 and 2021! Congratulations Ohio!!!
In 2021 we had a goal of recording the planing 200,000 native trees and woody shrubs across Ohio, and people wrote to tell us about 331,800 (and I’m sure we were not told about all of them!).
In fact, our two year total exceeded 500,000! Over 1/2 Million Native Trees and Woody Shrubs Planted to support wildlife, pollinators and ecosystems across Ohio!
Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)