Native Plants, Nurseries & Landscapers
Using Native Plants for a Bird Friendly Habitat
To jump to a particular topic, please use these links:
Lists of Native Plants
Recommended Sources of Native Plants
Native Plant Landscapers and Eco-Friendly Tree Services
Why natives? Our local vegetation evolved with insects, birds, and other animals to create complex food webs. Wildlife consumes fruits, nuts, and seeds for sustenance, while helping to propagate the regional vegetation. Native plants, especially some tree species like oaks, are also host to a large variety of insects, which in turn are eaten by birds and other animals. Young nestlings, in particular, must consume large numbers of insects in their first weeks of life.
Non-native vegetation can provide fruits, nuts, and seeds, but it does not host the insects that are vital to birds and the web of life. As their seeds are spread by wildlife, many non-native plants become “invasive” by out-competing local vegetation and disrupting the local ecology.
Native Plant Lists and Resources
- New Hope Bird Alliance – Selected Native Plants for Birds and Pollinators in the Piedmont Area of North Carolina – Use this link for on-screen listing compatible with all screen sizes including smart phones.
or Download a PDF of this information in spreadsheet format - National Audubon: National Audubon’s Plants for Birds program
- North Carolina Botanical Garden: Plant Resources for Gardeners and NC Wildflower of the Year
- NC State Extension Service: North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- North Carolina Native Plant Society: Native Plant Handouts
- The Keystone Plants spreadsheet lists the top 34 keystone plant genera for our Piedmont area. We recommend watching the first 24 minutes of this video from Doug Tallamy to better understand the important role of keystone plants.
New Hope Bird Alliance recommended sources of native plants
Highly recommended: These garden centers and nurseries:
- Sell a good selection of our recommended plants for the Piedmont.
- Have some method of identifying native plants to customers if they also sell plants not native to the Southeast.
- Plants are not treated with neonics or similar systemic insecticides. See this article for how to buy safe plants.
- Sell no invasive plants that are on the NC Invasive Plant Council Shun list
| Name | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina Habitats (formerly Dirtbag Gardens & Niche Gardens) | retail | Orange County |
| Deep Roots Natives | retail | Durham |
| Field to Cottage Nursery | retail by appointment | Raleigh |
| Flower of Carolina Native Nursery | retail | Hillsborough Farmers' Market and Saxapahaw |
| Growing Wild Nursery | mail order & local pickup | Siler City |
| Jerilyn's Native Plants of the Piedmont | retail and meetup/pickup by appointment | Chapel Hill/North Chatham |
| Knotty by Nature | by appointment | Durham |
| Mellow Marsh Farms | wholesale and retail by arrangement | Siler City |
| North Carolina Botanical Garden | retail | Chapel Hill |
| Rachel's Native Plants | retail | Pittsboro |
| Ray's Native Plants | retail | Chapel Hill |
Recommended with conditions:
These garden centers have a selection of native plants but do not meet one or more of our conditions for being highly recommended. When shopping there you will need to do the following.
- Use the New Hope Bird Alliance recommended list of native plants to make sure it is a recommended native plant.
- Ask whether the plant has been treated with neonics or similar systemic insecticides and don’t buy it if it has or they can’t tell you. See this article for how to buy safe plants.
- Don’t buy any plants on the NC Invasive Plant Council Shun list
| Name | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Country Farm and Home | retail | Pittsboro |
| Durham Garden Center | retail | Durham |
| Fifth Season Gardening Company | retail | Carrboro |
| Living Landscapes | retail | Graham |
| Southern States | retail | Carrboro |
For very detailed information on growing conditions, wildlife supported, and a host of other information, look-up each plant that is of interest to you on the North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
Native Plant Landscapers and Eco-Friendly Tree Services
We often are asked if we know of landscapers who work primarily with native plants. The landscapers in the table below have indicated to us that they are knowledgeable about local native plants and strive to use native plants to the extent possible. They also have indicated familiarity with the invasive plants, and in several cases, can remove invasive plants from your property. For additional companies that specialize in removing invasive plants, go to the invasive plants’ webpage.
We also are asked about tree service companies that share our values, so we have begun to add these to the list below.
In finding a landscaper who best fits your needs, it will be best to ask for references, see examples of their work, and get estimates of cost. Be sure to let them know that you want to use native plants to the extent possible and refer them to our lists of native plants.
| Name | Website, email, phone | Brief list of services |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Johnson's Landscape Services | 919-619-6923 | Landscape design and consultation; advice on and general garden maintenance; plant ID of native, non-native, and invasive species; installation of smaller projects. |
| Ann Gayek Landscapes | 937-369-6136 | Landscape design, installation, and maintenance. |
| Ecological Landscaping | [email protected] 330-313-5893 | Landscape maintenance, design, and new installation. |
| Jerilyn's Native Plants of the Piedmont | [email protected] | Native landscape design, home consultations and installations with a focus on keystone species. Chapel Hill/ North Chatham. |
| Garden Environments | Landscape design and installation with indigenous plants, hardscapes, water features, fences & walls, and outdoor living areas. | |
| Leaf & Limb | 919-787-9551 | Leaf & Limb is a local, family-owned B Corp specializing in Nature-first tree and land care that nurtures trees, flowers, and soil. Our Treecologists and ISA Certified Arborists are experts in tree pruning, tree care, compost fertilizer, native tree planting, soil health, and converting lawns to Piedmont Prairies. |
| Native Designs LLC | [email protected] | Consultation, design and installation of native gardens including pollinator gardens and meadows, and diverse stormwater control measures such as rain gardens, bioswales and pocket wetlands. We promote environmentally responsible landscaping practices. |
| Piedmont Environmental Landscape and Design | 919-960-6856 | Cultivation and management of plants and landscapes; landscape design and landscape contracting; installing deer fences; invasive plant species removal |
| Preston Monatgue Studio | 336-558-6137 | Landscape architecture specializing in ecological planting design for pollinator gardens, green infrastructure, and climate-resilient landscapes. Also natural resources inventory, master planning, woodland restoration, and education/outreach. |
| Reconnect Landscapes | Landscape design, consultation, and installation of smaller projects. Specializing in ecological planting design: bird habitat, pollinator gardens, rain gardens, naturalistic style. | |
| The Treeist | 919-260-8970 | We value educating our community about their trees, not scaring folks into unnecessary services. Tree services include removal of specific trees, hazard/conflict issues, pruning, health assessment/management, and long-term care and maintenance. |
| Transformative Gardens | [email protected] | Transformative Gardens is about using native plants and making meaningful differences. Services include: consultation, design, and installation. |
| Wild Earth Gardening | [email protected] 919-260-4041(Tim Mainiero) | Maintenance of native gardens dealing with most weeds by hand-pulling; installation, amendment and mulching of new planting beds; pruning; leaf removal; removal of invasive plant species. |
Love Wildlife? Give Back.
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