Take Action

Drive demand for information about plant parentage. This is one way horticulturists, gardeners, and landscape designers can indicate to garden centers and nurseries that plant parentage matters.

Like getting to know where your food comes from and meeting your farmer, learning where your plants come from increases transparency and the quality of information along supply chains.

Echinacea purpurea ‘Evening Island’ (via. Chicago Botanic Garden)

Echinacea purpurea ‘Evening Island’ (via. Chicago Botanic Garden)

 
“It is so exciting to see more and more home gardeners planting native species that are both beautiful and able to support local wildlife and pollinators. We hope our research will help fill a critical gap in guidance, making it easier for gardeners to meet their gardening goals and support wildlife by selecting the best native plant sources or cultivars for their site.”
— Dr. Andrea T. Kramer, Chicago Botanic Garden’s Director of Restoration Ecology
 

While shopping for native plants, consider the following questions and ask them if you have an opportunity:

Start Here

  1. Where was this plant grown?

  2. Where does the nursery stock for this plant come from?

  3. Is this plant grown from seed?

  4. Is this plant a hybrid?

  5. Is this plant a selection of a naturally occurring wild species?

  6. How does the foliage color of this plant differ from the wild species?

  7. How does the flower size, shape and color differ from the wild species?

  8. Has this plant been bred for disease resistance?

  9. Is this plant a dwarf version of the wild species?

  10. Is there research available on this plant’s ability to support wildlife and provide other ecosystem services?