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.