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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Agave gypsophila ssp. gypsophila 'Zingara'
Item #: 16024
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $38.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave gypsophila ssp. pablocarrilloi 'Blue Ivory' PP 32,370
Item #: 14786
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 7" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $38.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave havardiana
Item #: 5007
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $30.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave isthmensis 'Kabuto Gani'
Item #: 13719
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $38.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave isthmensis 'Ohi Raijin Shiro Nakafu'
Item #: 8524
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 4" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $35.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave 'Kissho Kan Nishiki'
Item #: 7617
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $39.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave x loferox 'A Step Above'
Item #: 17601
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $36.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave lophantha 'Goldfinger'
Item #: 13043
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $55.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave lophantha 'La Bufa Baby'
Item #: 12722
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $35.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave lophantha 'Multigreen'
Item #: 12172
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 11" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $38.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor'
Item #: 7124
Zones: 8a to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $32.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave lophantha 'Splendida'
Item #: 8014
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 11" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $32.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave macroacantha 'Blue Ribbon'
Item #: 7568
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $35.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave mckelveyana
Item #: 1127
Zones: 6a to 7b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $35.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave montana 'Tiffany'
Item #: 9871
Zones: 9a to 10b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $250.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave multifilifera 'Silly String'
Item #: 10278
Zones: 8a to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $38.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave x nickelima 'Great White Shark' PP 32,484
Item #: 10671
Zones: 9b to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $250.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave x nickelima 'Shark Bite'
Item #: 9575
Zones: 8a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $55.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave obscura
Item #: 17733
Zones: 8a to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $32.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave x ocahuata 'Luminescence'
Item #: 15566
Zones: 9b to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $250.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave ovatifolia
Item #: 6306
Zones: 7a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $31.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave ovatifolia 'Awakening Angel'
Item #: 15564
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $250.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave ovatifolia 'Frosted Flecks'
Item #: 13363
Zones: 9a to 11, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $75.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue'
Item #: 9513
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $32.00Regular 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.