Appalachian Highlands Resources for Native Plants – 2025
(Commercial entities are not endorsed, just listed as possible resources)
Where can I see a garden of native plants?
- Jacob’s Nature Park, Johnson City, TN
- Blue Ridge Discovery Center, Konnarock, VA
- Damascus Trail Center, Damascus, VA
- Steele Creek Park, Bristol, TN
- Discovery Gardens, Gray Fossil Site, Gray, TN
- Coomes Center, Abingdon, VA
I’d like more background on the importance of wildlife habitat.
- Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy
- Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard by Douglas W. Tallamy
- The Nature of Oaks by Douglas W. Tallamy
- The Living Landscape by Rick Darke & Doug Tallamy
- Gardening With the Native Plants of Tennessee: The Spirit of Place by Margie Hunter
- Garden Revolution by Larry Weaner and Thomas Christopher
I’d like guidance in designing my native habitat and selecting native plants. Where can I talk to a knowledgeable nurseryman within about 2-3 hours from the Tri Cities?
- Wood Thrush Natives, Floyd, VA
- Shy Valley Farm, Fall Branch, TN
- Tennessee Naturescapes, Oliver Springs, TN
- Overhill Gardens, Vonore, TN
- Paragraph Designs, Johnson City, TN
- Carolina Natives, Burnsville, NC
I’m ready for a native plant buying road trip, where can I go?
- Mid-Atlantic Natives, Cobbs Creek, VA
- Hummingbird Hill Natives, Charlottesville, VA
- GroWild, Inc, Fairview, TN
- Native Plant Rescue Squad, Knoxville, TN
- Reflection Riding, Chattanooga, TN
- Carolina Native Nursery, Burnsville, NC
- Mellow Marsh, Siler City, NC
- Wetland Plants Inc, Edenton, NC
- Gardens of the Blue Ridge, Danielsville, GA
How can I get the unusual native plants not available locally? Available Online:
- Roundstone Seeds, Upton, KY
- Izel Native Plants, Washington DC
- Toadshade WF Farm, Frenchtown, NJ
- Prairie Nursery, Westfield, WI
- Prairie Moon Nursery, Winona, MN
- Ernst Seeds, Meadville, PA
I like to go to workshops and meet people with similar interests, are there any in the area?
- Western Carolina University – The Cullowhee Native Plant Conference, Cullowhee, NC
- Plant Natives! – Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones
- Native Plant Symposium, Highlands Biological Station, Highlands, NC
- Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, TN
- Native Plants in the Landscape Conference – Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, Millersville, PA
It’s a rainy day for me to browse native plant Web sites, give me some starters.
- Wild Ones
- Wild Ones Appalachian Highlands Chapter
- Homegrown National Park
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- VA Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries
- TN Native Plant Society
- VA Native Plant Society
- Tennessee-Kentucky Plant Atlas
Where can I learn if a plant is native to my area?
- USDA Plants Database
- BONAP
- National Wildlife Federation Plant finder
- Audubon Society Plant Database
- Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora
- Guide to Gardening with Southwest Virginia Native Plants
I like reference books to consult, any suggestions?
- The Southeast Native Plant Primer by Larry Mellichamp and Paula Gross
- Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont by Timothy P. Spira
- Wildflowers by William Cullina
- Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines by William Cullina
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians by Dennis Horn, Tavia Cathcart, and Tom Hemmerly
- Butterflies of Tennessee by Rita Venable
- Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee: The Spirit of Place by Margie Hunter
How can I get rid of those nasty weeds and invasive plants?
- Invasive.Org
- A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests
- Tennessee Invasive Plant Council
- DCR Virginia Invasive Plants Species List
- Blue Ridge PRISM Inc – Invasive Species in the northern Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
What are some native plant podcasts I can listen to?
- Native Plant Podcast
- Growing Greener
- In Defense of Plants
- Native Plants Healthy Planet
- Nature Revisited
Reading Lists:
- Wild Ones Reading List
- Monthly book reviews are included in the Wild Ones newsletter.
Native Woody Plant List:
Virginia Grasslands to Visit
Alaina Krakowiak – February 2026
Grassland loss is one of the greatest conservation issues currently facing the Southeastern United States. Of the nearly 6,000 plant species native to the Southeast, 60% of these require or prefer grasslands. Despite this, grasslands across this region are being lost at an alarming rate. The Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI) is an organization dedicated to studying, conserving, and restoring grasslands in the Southeastern United States. Alaina Krakowiak, SGI’s Central Appalachian Grasslands Coordinator, presented a talk “Virginia’s Grasslands: Past, Present, and Future” to the WOAH Chapter on February 12, 2026.
In this presentation, she described the history of grasslands in Virginia: what they might have looked like, and where they would have been found. She also discussed the current state of Virginia’s grasslands: what do we have left and what is threatening them. Grass species are an essential component of our native gardens. Alaina provided the list below of thirteen Virginia grasslands that can be visited by the public (some visits must be arranged with site steward).