North American Native Plants are native to the U.S., Mexico or Canada. Since political boundaries aren't natural, these plants can usually be found on both sides of the border.
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Nolina nelsonii
Item #: 1484
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 144" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $24.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Oenothera fruticosa 'Fireworks'
Item #: 8719
Zones: 3a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Oenothera riparia 'Colleton'
Item #: 17620
Zones: 7a to 9a, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Onoclea sensibilis 'Supersize'
Item #: 9212
Zones: 3a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per
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Onoclea sensibilis 'Texas Too Tall'
Item #: 8279
Zones: 3a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 42" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outOpuntia cacanapa 'Ellisiana'
Item #: 5564
Zones: 7a to 10b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $25.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Opuntia fragilis 'Potato'
Item #: 14256
Zones: 4a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 3" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $25.00Regular priceUnit price per
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Orontium aquaticum 'Tidewater'
Item #: 13045
Zones: 5a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $24.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Osmunda cinnamomea
Item #: 1366
Zones: 3a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outPachysandra procumbens 'Angola'
Item #: 6488
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $25.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Pachysandra procumbens 'Jackson'
Item #: 16627
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $25.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Panicum virgatum 'Niagara Falls' PP 34,509
Item #: 16748
Zones: 4a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 2 qt. (1.9 L)
Regular price $24.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Panicum virgatum 'Ruby Ribbons' PP 17,944
Item #: 8334
Zones: 4a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 2 qt. (1.9 L)
Regular price $24.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outParthenocissus quinquefolia 'Monham'
Item #: 13446
Zones: 3a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 600" tall
Culture: Sun to Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $24.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outPeltandra virginica
Item #: 262
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Penstemon baccharifolius
Item #: 12264
Zones: 7b to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Penstemon 'Blackbeard' PP 30,052
Item #: 12732
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outPenstemon cobaea
Item #: 5734
Zones: 4a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Penstemon 'Dark Towers' PP 20,013
Item #: 8907
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outPenstemon grandiflorus
Item #: 11647
Zones: 4a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Penstemon havardii
Item #: 18347
Zones: 5b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 72" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Penstemon 'Midnight Masquerade' PP 29,603
Item #: 13493
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 32" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outPenstemon ovatus
Item #: 11361
Zones: 4a to 8a
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Canada, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Penstemon smallii
Item #: 1414
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per
More Information About North American Native Plants
North American native plants are native to the U.S., Mexico, or Canada. Since political boundaries aren't natural (nor are fences), native plants can usually be found on both sides of the border.
Contrary to popular myth, American native plants are not automatically better adapted than exotic plants. If they were, we wouldn't have aggressive exotic plants choking out the natives. Most plants we consider American native plants today evolved over 100,000 years ago, when the climate was much different than it is today.
American native plants are also not necessarily better as a food source for native insects and animals. Foreign and native plants can be the preferred food source for native animals or can repel them. For instance, the Chinese native Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii) is a preferred food source for butterflies in the US and England and some butterflies would have trouble surviving without Buddleia. Butterfly conservationists advocate planting Buddleia in the US and England in order to protect butterfly species.
Nature is not Static
The well-meaning but misinformed people who promote the myths of native plant superiority are no different from the political populists of the past who preached genetic isolation and superiority. In a culture that supposedly embraces diversity, we find it bizarre that diversity among plants is promoted as evil. We aim to inform and educate the public that nature is not static and diversity in horticulture is a good thing. Stop trying to promote the preservation of some mythical horticultural Camelot.
Don't get us wrong. There are some fabulous American native plants and it is our goal to introduce as many of them as possible to you. We love them as much as everyone else does. We just consider ourselves to be a contrarian native plant nursery that is not on the native plant superiority bandwagon. Our perennial garden plays host to native and exotic plants alike and we love them all.
Check out our article on native plants as well as this talk from Tony at JC Raulston Arboretum.
In Search of Overlooked and Exceptional Native Plants
This video was recorded on April 29th, 2013 at JC Raulston Arboretum.