June 9, 2020 1 Sources of Native Plants (Ontario) I’ve tried to produce an accurate list, but nurseries go in and especially out of business regularly; I only have the information the nurseries themselves provide; furthermore, they do not contact me to be included, I must find them. Hence, I cannot guarantee 100% accuracy. Many of these nurseries call themselves ‘wholesale’ which usually means that you can’t just show up and wander around the aisles as in a grocery store. You must order in advance and/or visit by appointment. Sometimes it means that they are set up to deal with organizations such as landscapers, municipalities, golf courses, etc. and so they sell in bulk only. Occasionally you must register as a customer first. I have done this and, so far, not encountered any problems. Be aware that a nursery may have a different definition for ‘native’ than your own. They may consider that any species that grows in nature anywhere in Ontario, or Canada, or North America is ‘native’. Some use Plant Hardiness Zones to classify their plants. Because a plant is able to accept your region’s climate conditions is it native? Some use the term ‘wildflower’. Is a wildflower native or is it an alien species that has escaped from home gardens and become naturalized? So it’s best to decide what ‘native’ means to you before shopping and also to familiarize yourself with the most common natives in nurseries so that when you come across a plant you’ve never heard of before, you’re prompted to research it before deciding to buy it. Many of these Websites are very informative and I recommend perusing them to educate yourself even if they are not in your region. If you haven’t decided yet what ‘native’ means to you, here is a common definition: a species that grows in your region but not as a result of humans having transported it. The antonym of ‘native’ is ‘introduced’, with humans being the introducer. Then there is the question of what defines a region: your county, the whole of Ontario, or only your part of Ontario. You have to decide for yourself. If a nursery refers to themselves as a ‘Native Plant Nursery’, you should be able to trust them to tell you what ‘native’ means to them and whether a species is native to your region or not. Read labels carefully when buying and depend on the scientific name if you have doubts. You may think these are scary but usually they’re just difficult to pronounce. A common name can lead to confusion since, because it will vary across regions and over time, there is almost always more than one. ‘Canadensys, operated from the Université de Montréal Biodiversity Centre, is a Canada-wide effort to make the biodiversity information held in biological collections accessible to everyone.’ It maintains the user-friendly online Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN) which you can use to research whether a species and its varieties are native to Ontario: https://data.canadensys.net/vascan/search. For the Love of Nature Frontyard Restoration www.frontyardrestoration.com June 9, 2020 2 The following books are useful in finding out if a plant is native to your region: -Field Guid to the Common Forest Plants in Northwestern Ontario - Baldwin, Simms, and McColm, Canadian Forest Service - https://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/publications/download-pdf/22142; -Forest Plants of Central Ontario - Chambers, Legasy, and Bentley; -Forest Plants of Northeastern Ontario - Legasy, Labelle-Beadman, & Chambers. Used only; -Native Trees of Canada - Hosie, Dept. of Forestry and Rural Development. Used only or at https://archive.org/details/nativetreesofcan00hosi/page/n7; -Ontario’s Native Plant Catalogue - Boydell, www.frontyardrestoration.com; -The ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario - Dickinson, Metsger, Bull, and Dickinson; -Shrubs of Ontario - Soper and Heimburger; -Trees in Canada - Farrar; -The Vascular Plants of the Bruce Peninsula - Johnson. One last thing. Even though I know it isn’t easy, try not to be tempted by the ornamentals some nurseries stock. Remember your mission. The number preceding each source is the region in which it is located: 1 - southwest Ontario from Windsor to Toronto and from Goderich to Niagara-on-the-Lake; includes London, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga. 2 - north of region 1 to region 3; includes Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Barrie. 3 - the Bruce Peninsula and around the south shore of Georgian Bay to/including Collingwood. 4 - regions York, Durham, and Northumberland. 5 - Prince Edward County and along the St. Lawrence River to the Québec border. 6 - from Lake Simcoe across to the Ottawa River; Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough, Ottawa. 7 - from Georgian Bay across to the Ottawa River, plus Manitoulin Island and up the coast of Georgian Bay to just past Sault Ste. Marie; Parry Sound, North Bay, Sudbury, Temagami. 8 - the far northeast; includes Cobalt, Timmins; Kapuskasing is on the west border. 9 - the far north central (north of Sault Ste. Marie); Hearst; Kapuskasing is on the east border. 10 - the far northwest; Rainy River, Lake of the Woods, Kenora, Thunder Bay, Lake Nipigon, Terrace Bay, Wawa. For the Love of Nature Frontyard Restoration www.frontyardrestoration.com June 9, 2020 3 1 Alma, Grand Moraine Growers: CLOSED; the educational catalogue remains available for now. http://grandmorainegrowers.ca 7 Bracebridge, Muskoka Conservancy: a volunteer-driven, staff-supported registered charity; perennials, ferns, grasses, shrubs, and trees; one day each spring holds a native plant sale. Ordering for the 2020 sale begins on March 16th at 10 am; pickup on May 9th between 9 am and 12 pm at the Huntsville and Bracebridge locations. https://muskokaconservancy.org/shop/category/native-plant-sale/ 1 Brantford (Ohsweken), Kayanase - Restoring Mother Earth: a native plant nursery; Carolinian Canada native plants for residential and commercial restoration; ecological restoration services; cultural and eco- tourism packages; invasive species management. https://www.facebook.com/Kayanase-317468838440153/; https://kayanasegreenhouse.weebly.com/ 7 Bristol, QC, Beaux Arbres Plantes Indigénes / Native Plants: seeds, flowers, grasses, shrubs, vines, trees, and aquatics native to the Ottawa Valley, plus species native to eastern North America; vegetables; consultation services for home or cottage; educational Website with excellent photos. https://beauxarbres.ca/ 5 Brockville, Devra Rayvals: collect and provide seeds to-order of native shrubs and trees. [email protected] 3 Bruce County (Red Bay), Earth Bound Gardens and Greenhouses, Monarch Butterfly Waystation #1047: wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and aquatics; alvar demonstration garden; consultation services; 20% native with a focus on those of the Bruce Peninsula. http://www.earthboundgardens.com 2 Caledon, Acorus Restoration Native Plant Nursery: native wildflowers, grasses, ferns, shrubs, trees, and aquatics. https://www.acorusrestoration.com/ 2 Caledon, Humber Nurseries 2020 Ltd.: trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals; while retail clients can email their order or visit their farm by appointment, they specialize in servicing landscape contractors and wholesale clients (school boards, golf courses, cities, cemeteries and conservation authorities) in the GTA; landscape design. http://www.gardencentre.com 2 Cambridge, Burford Tree Nursery: operated under the auspices of the Grand River Conservation Authority; trees native to the Grand River watershed; only landowners residing in the Grand River watershed with more than 1 hectare (2.5 acres) of land are eligible to order. The minimum order is 200 seedlings, or 20 saplings or potted stock. Orders are ready for pick-up every spring starting approximately the third week of April through to the second Wednesday in May. The GRCA holds an end- of-season tree sale every year on the second Friday in May (8 am to noon). All watershed residents are welcome. Offer Forestry Specialist consultations and tree planting. https://www.grandriver.ca/en/our-watershed/Tree-planting.aspx 1 Chatham-Kent (Bothwell), Heavenly Earth - Carolinian Tree and Shrub Nursery: trees and shrubs with some wildflowers. Despite their name, their location, and the information they provide written by Fox & Soper (Royal Canadian Institute) concerning ‘The Carolinian Zone’, this is not a ‘Carolinian Canada’ nursery. Most of their species are native to southwest Ontario, but the grief I received in just trying to clarify the nature of their inventory was very unprofessional. Read the catalogue carefully. When a plant is indicated as ‘Carolinian’ it may in fact be native no further north than North Carolina. Their inventory also includes species native no further west or south than York Region. https://heavenlyearth.ca/ For the Love of Nature Frontyard Restoration www.frontyardrestoration.com June 9, 2020 4 1 Chatham-Kent (Wallaceburg), Ontario NativeScape - a division of Rural Lambton Stewardship Network: a non-profit organization that offers multiple extensive services to both private and public landowners that encourage and support sound ecological land management; herbaceous seed sales (click on Services at the top of the homepage and then scroll to the bottom). http://www.ontarionativescape.ca/ 2 Dufferin County (Mulmur), ForFaraz: a small scale operation giving individual care to container grown native trees. Educational Website. www.forfaraz.com 2 Dufferin County (Mulmur), Not So Hollow Farm: native perennials, shrubs, and trees. http://www.notsohollowfarm.ca 1 Elgin County (Port Stanley), Moore Water Gardens: aquatic