Gardening with Native Plants

Here are some resources, plant lists and brochures that you can use to plan your garden or brush up on the plants' needs after you take them home.
View this list in a pdf

Other Groups working with native plants

Bountiful Fall – How Native Plants Help Wildlife Prepare For Winter (LEAF)

by Justin Lewis on October 04, 2023

This excellent article gives an overview of the value of native plants, trees and grasses as food for wildlife of all types.

Native Plant Sales 2025

Other groups and previous for reference

Carolinian Canada and WWF-Canada has a native plant partnership with 123 Loblaw Garden Centres  across southern and eastern Ontario and 10 in southern Quebec. A Map of locations and plant species list for Southern Ontario will be available in April.

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NANPS - North American Native Plant Society. NANPS Sale

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Native Plant Finder (Pollinator Partnership). Filter for your location and other conditions.

Other events and YouTube channel.

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TBG -Toronto Botanical Gardens Plant Sale May 10 and 11, 2025 10 am to 4 pm.

Includes: Natives, nativars, and pollinator-friendly plants
Knowledgeable staff and volunteers
Garden Advice Clinic by Toronto Master Gardeners

The Garden Shop is open on Tues to Sun 10:30 am to 4:30 pm and has specialty garden and houseplants, unique trees and shrubs, native and pollinator-friendly collections, as well as sustainable, eco-friendly products.

Spring Plant Sale May 18, 2025. 12 to 5pm
Friends of Allan Gardens will be hosting a plant sale fundraiser on May 18. This plant sale will feature native plants, indoor plants, and veggie starters. 12 pm to 4 pm. Children’s Conservatory at Allan Gardens on the west side of the park. Address: Allan Gardens, 160 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M5A 2E5.
For many other activities see Friends of Allan Gardens.

PollinateTO a city program that has lots of info on creating pollinator gardens. Grants of up to $5,000

Evergreen Brickworks Garden Market.
The garden centre is fully stocked with Toronto’s widest selection of Ontario native flowers, plants and trees for gardens of all sizes—container on your condo countertop to your backyard in the city. Daily 10 am to 5 pm

Parkdale Horticultural Society
Plant Fair May 24, 2025 10am to 12 pm.
Roncesvalles United Church 214 Wright Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 1L3

Blooming Boulevards Mississauga
Native Plant Sale
Sat. May 31 & Sun. June 1, 2025 9am to 3 pm
295 Mineola Gardens Mississauga, ON L5G 3Y5
Over 40 species of plants native to our region grown from locally collected wild seeds. $3.50 to $8.00

BBM also offers workshops, gardens, newsletters, markets and other related activities. We are creating networks of residential boulevard gardens that serve as a corridor for native pollinator population movement, enabling bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects to reach each other. Plant list photos and membership.

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LEAF has many garden kits including native plants, shrubs and trees available for sale. Order early as they run out quickly. No plant kits this year

In the Zone Gardens - a collaborative initiative between WWF-Canada and Carolinian Canada has links to many organizations and reference materials on growing and tracking native plant gardens Sign up to find out more!

The David Suzuki Foundation has many projects relating to growing native plants and community:
LawnShare promotes sustainable alternatives that support native flora and fauna. Sustainable Communities, The Butterflyway, and Seed Sitters.

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Sourcing native plants in Ontario

Network of Nature
Discover Native Plants in Canada
Network of Nature is a tool that helps you to identify native plants that are appropriate for restoration, gardening, and other planting needs across Canada.

Bee City Native Plant Directory

Toronto Plant Market
27 Bering Ave. Wed-Fri 12-7 & Sat 9-1
instagram @torontoplantmarket
facebook: Torontoplantmarket

Grow Me instead Nursery Recognition Program

The Grow Me Instead Nursery Recognition Program recognizes nurseries that carry and promote the sale of the non-invasive and native garden plants featured in the Grow Me Instead guide.

Fiesta Farms Garden Centre
200 Christie St, Toronto, ON M6G 3B6
416-537-1244
social media: fiestafarms and fiestafarmsto
May 10: Ontario native plants have arrived, more to come soon

Credit Valley Conservation’s Guide to Native Plant Nursery and Seed Suppliers in Ontario (pdf)

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Plant lists

• Plant Photos Brochure - pdf
• Chart List of plants - pdf
• Plants by Bloom Time - xls
• Plant signs
• Try our Interactive Plant Search:

Other resources

• Other Groups and Resources

Links to groups that provide native plants and/or information on growing them

• World Wildlife Federation Native Plant Encyclopedia
• Planting the Seed, A Guide to
  Establishing Prairie and Meadow
  Communities in Southern Ontario. Source:
  Environment Canada
• High Park Wildflowers website
• Pollinator Partnership - Find Your Roots
  A tool for creating pollinator-friendly native plant lists for your habitat project
  Ecoregional planting guides, Selecting Plants for Pollinators
• Pollinator Gardens and Wildlife Habitats
  This US website is set up to offer coupons on many types of items but there is a good article called DIY Gardening Projects and Landscaping Ideas to Save Money that includes pollinator and wildlife garden resources.
• Lorraine Johnson is the author of numerous books on growing native plants, gardening for pollinators, restoring habitat, and producing food in cities, Lorraine’s work focuses on people and communities growing plants, ecological health, and connection to nature and to each other.