Gardening with Natives
Welcome, gardeners, to the rewarding realm of native plant gardening.
By bringing local, native plants into your yard, you are extending the habitat available to native wildlife, mostly small, but some large too, getting to know intimately the natural world of our coast and mountains, and appreciating its beauty.
Native Plant Consultation Service
Are you wondering which plants in your yard are native? Are you unsure if that vine in the corner is an invasive exotic? Would you like to know some native spacies that would grow well in your yard?
The North Coast Chapter of the California Native Plant Society offers the Native Plant Consultation Service to answer these questions and to share our experiences gardening with natives. This service is free.
Contact our coordinator at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., to arrange a visit by volunteer consultants to look at what you have and help choose suitable plants for your garden.
We offer these documents to help:
Restoring Nature, One Garden at a time A review of our 2019 November program, a video of a lecture by Dr. Douglas Tallamy, professor of entomology at the University of Delaware. His lecture was the keynote address at the CNPS Conservation Conference in Los Angeles earlier that year.
Books Regarding Gardening with Native Plants. A three-page, annotated list compiled by chapter members
Northwest California natives tested in the Arcata-Eureka area A list compiled by chapter members of trees, shrubs, herbs, and ground-covers. We call it "Pete's plant list," although other members contributed.
Native Plants that Attract Hummingbirds
Common butterflies of Humboldt Bay and their host plants
Native Plants for Butterflies in the Humboldt Bay Area
Native Shrubs and Small Trees that Attract Wildlife
"A lawn given over to native wildflowers may be the most All-American lawn of all." - Amy Stuart's garden column in the 7/25/02 North Coast Journal.
List of plants used in the pollinator garden at the Jefferson Community Center A 2 page list by flowering season with scientific and common names of each plant as well as if the plant is a nectar or pollen source and what it attracts.
Native Plants for Local Birds A 2 page list of plants compiled from the Audubon database including scientific and common names of the plant, type of plant, birds the plant may attract and what the plant provides.
Native Plants for Local Birds A 2 page list of plants compiled from the Audubon database including scientific and common names of the plant, type of plant, birds the plant may attract and what the plant provides.
Why Plant with Natives: Caterpillars ~~ Food for Baby Birds. A plant list based on the remarkable work of Doug Tallamy.
Creating a Native Plant Garden. Spotlights the importance of planning, irrigation, prep, weeding and knowledge of pests, with weblinks for more information.
Where to Find Local Plants and Designers.
Gardening