Monarch butterfly on milkweed.

What are native plants?

Native plants have evolved over thousands of years to be adapted to conditions in a particular region and to the other plants and animals around them.

Why should we grow them?

To enjoy beautiful, hardy plants! Natives thrive in our local climate and soil and have natural defenses to plant diseases, harmful insects, and other pests.

To save time and money! Well-adapted to local conditions, natives thrive on their own without the need to water, fertilize, and apply pesticides.

To bring in the birds and butterflies! Natives provide essential food, shelter, and nesting sites for native wildlife.

To improve water quality! Native plants hold soil in place, increase infiltration of rainwater into the ground, and filter pollutants from our water. Since they grow well without the application of fertilizers and pesticides, they help reduce these sources of pollution that stormwater can carry into our rivers and bay.

How can we choose the best plants for our yards?

going native - native plants guide - pdf

Going Native:  A Guide to Landscaping with Native Plants in the Barnegat Bay Watershed will help you select plants native to the Barnegat Bay watershed and the ones best suited to the specific growing conditions in your yard. You will also want to consider plant height, flower color, bloom time, and wildlife value when making your selections.  

link to jersey friendly yards native plant database

The Plant Database on the Jersey-Friendly Yards website can be searched for native plants that match the conditions in your yard.  The database includes more than 200 New Jersey native species and has a search feature for finding plants adapted to conditions in the coastal/barrier island region. The “Where to Buy Native Plants” page on the website provides a list of nurseries by county as well as online retailers and wholesale sources.

Where can we buy them?

Retail Sources

Ocean County

Cicconi Farms, 1005 Farmingdale Road, Jackson, NJ  08527 (732-363-1420)

Hammett’s Landscaping and Garden Center, 425 U.S. Highway 9, Forked River, NJ 08731 (609-971-0453)

RareFind Nursery, 957 Patterson Road, Jackson, NJ  08527 (732-833-0613)

Monmouth County

Brock Farms, 4189 Route 9, Freehold, NJ  (732-308-0498)

Coastal Nursery, 50 Vanderveer Road, Freehold, NJ  (732-303-6701)

Steven Kristoph Nursery, Millstone Township, NJ  (732-446-1440)

Atlantic County

Earth First Native Plant Nursery, Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 (609-287-5090)

Galloway Nursery, 1121 Aloe Street, South Egg Harbor, NJ 08215 (609-965-2071)

Mercer County

D&R Greenway Land Trust is a non-profit land preservation organization with its own plant nursery that supplies local genotypes of indigenous plants for ecological restoration and to the general public.  Plants are available to the general public at Spring and Fall Plant Sales, and are available for ecological restoration projects year-round, by arrangement.

Online retail with shipping to your door

Pinelands Direct

Toadshade Wildflower Farm

The Pollen Nation

Wild Ridge Plants

Wholesale sources for large quantities of plants

D&R Greenway Trust Native Plant Nursery

New Moon Nursery

Ocean Wholesale Nursery

Related links

The Native Plant Society of New Jersey conducts regular lectures and presentations with featured speakers on topics ranging from introduction to native plants, gardening with natives, identification and appreciation of the beautiful flora and ecosystems of New Jersey, ecological landscaping, and much more.