​What are native plants?

Hundreds of years ago, “native” plants covered Minnesota's prairies. Native plants are grasses, foliage, and trees that are indigenous to our region, and evolved to support our ecosystems. Native plants differ from non-natives because of their complex relationship with other local organisms, acting as critical components in maintaining nature’s delicate ecological balance. Non-native plants do not perform the ecological services that native plants do so well. Native plants help clean water with their deep root systems that anchor soil and act as filters, collecting dirty run-off and separating out pollutants while absorbing water and decreasing flooding. Native plants also provide pollen, nectar, and housing materials to the bees, butterflies and other animals that are responsible for pollinating 1/3 of the food we eat.​

What are the benefits of native plants?

• Native plants' long roots find their own water, decrease soil compaction, absorb water, and filter out pollutants

• Native plants are as maintenance free as plants can be – no mowing, fertilizer nor pesticides

• They cost less in the long run – no fertilizers, pesticides, mowing necessary

• Native plants add beauty, habitat, food & cover – biodiversity

• Native plants reduce air pollution since they do not need to be mowed

• Native plants also reduce water pollution because fertilizers and pesticides and pesticides are not necessary

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How do I create a native plant garden?
Visit Blue Thumb!

Where can I buy native plants?
Visit Blue Thumb's native nursery finder!

How do I pick out native plants for my garden?
Visit Blue Thumb's native plant selector!

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The pledge to plant campaign has ended, but we still welcome news of new native plant efforts.
​Reach out and let us know if you have a native plant garden!

​Pledge to Plant for Pollinators and
​Clean Water!

Planting native plants attract pollinators like birds, bees, and butterflies.  In addition to providing  food and habitat, planting deep-rooted native plants improves the quality of local lakes and rivers by allowing more rain water to infiltrate into the ground, causing less runoff.  The average turf grass can only infiltrate 1/4" of rain water, so all rainfall in excess of 1/4" becomes runoff from residential and commercial lawns, carrying with it soils and debris right to your nearest lake or stream.
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Managed landscapes on public and private properties, including raingardens, stormwater ponds, shoreline plantings, and native gardens, provide the opportunity for increasing diversity through blooming native patches that connect pollinator corridors while helping to keep water clean by capturing and filtering runoff.

For a list of native plants and the sun/soil conditions they grow best in, visit the Blue Thumb Plant Selector Tool.  For design and siting information, sample layouts of rain gardens, check out this Rain Garden Manual.  For native gardens, see Landscaping with Native Plants.