GFLP Learning Center

Whether you are looking for a place to buy native plant plugs, are on the hunt for tips to identify and remove invasive species, are looking for your next book to read, or you simply want to dive into learning about all things healthy habitat … we are sure you’ll find some great information here. 

Organizations Promoting Healthy Habitats

  • Join the largest conservation project to regenerate biodiversity ever attempted! Create habitat for wildlife in your own yard. Create Wildlife Habitat. Create a New HABITat. Start Planting Native. Official Doug Tallamy. Grassroots Call-To-Action.

  • Conserving Carolina's mission is to protect, restore, and inspire appreciation of the natural world. They have protected over 46,000 acres in an amazing part of western NC and upstate SC. They are actively restoring wildlife habitat, creating new trails and greenways, and engaging people with the outdoors.

    See Habitat at Home for great resources.

  • Pollinator Resources Center

    The pollinator protection pledge is based on four simple principles: Grow pollinator-friendly flowers, provide nest sites, avoid pesticides, and spread the word.

  • Dogwood Alliance advances environmental justice and climate action by mobilizing diverse voices to protect Southern forests and communities from industrial logging.

  • NC Wildlife Federation - Habitat Conservation Resources

    North Carolina Wildlife Federation supports wildlife habitat, garden, and restoration programs unique to the flora and fauna native to our state.

    Learn more about Habitat Conservation in NC , the Certified Wildlife Habitat program, The Butterfly Highway and more.

  • Native Pollinators

    At the Center for Biological Diversity, we believe that the welfare of human beings is deeply linked to nature — to the existence in our world of a vast diversity of wild animals and plants. Because diversity has intrinsic value, and because its loss impoverishes society, we work to secure a future for all species, great and small, hovering on the brink of extinction.

  • Upstate Forever's mission is to protect critical lands, waters, and the unique character of the Upstate region. We envision a future that is healthy, vibrant, and prosperous. To realize that vision, we know it is vitally important and essential to our core values that we engage the diverse community we serve.

  • The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.

  • Mission: To inspire you to become a wildlife champion, especially for underdogs and endangered animals. America’s red wolf is our top concern.

    See Creating Wildlife Habitat -

    Wildlife habitat. What is it and why would you want critters in your backyard? And what kind of critters?

  • Pollinator Partnership’s mission is to promote the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research.

  • Mountain True empowers citizens to be advocates for livable communities and the natural environment of Western North Carolina.

  • BeeCity USA

  • Pollinator Friendly resources and tools via Asheville Greenworks

  • BeeCity H’ville

  • Pollinator Resources

  • Helping Polk County stay environmentally healthy and beautiful through initiatives and grant programs, such as the Kudzu Removal Projects

Learn More About Native Plants

  • The mission of NCNPS is to promote the enjoyment and conservation of North Carolina’s native plants and their habitats through education, protection, cultivation, and advocacy.

  • The South Carolina Native Plant Society is a non-profit organization committed to the preservation and protection of native plant communities in South Carolina.

  • GNPS -

    Mission: To promote the stewardship and conservation of Georgia’s native plants and their habitats through education and with the involvement of individuals and organizations.

  • Native Plant Database

    Restoring native plant habitat is vital to preserving biodiversity. By creating a native plant garden, each patch of habitat becomes part of a collective effort to nurture and sustain the living landscape for birds and other animals.

  • Native plant list for Buncombe County and region

  • The Botanical Gardens at Asheville is located in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, one of the most diverse temperate ecosystems in the world! Our native plant collection includes more than 500 species native to the Southern Appalachians.

  • Friends of Plant Conservation purpose:

    To promote public awareness and understanding of North Carolina’s Plant Conservation Program,

    To provide the public with opportunities to help protect the rare and native plant flora of the state,

    To provide support for those programs and activities that are compatible and consistent with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Plant Conservation Program.

  • Putting Down Roots with Native Plants

  • Native Plant Database

    Mission: Inspiring the conservation of native plants.

  • The North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox contains detailed descriptions and photographs of 4,631 plants that grow in and around North Carolina

  • Plant Finder - Search by zip code to find plants that host the highest numbers of butterflies and moths to feed birds and other wildlife where you live.

  • Native Plant Resource Directory

  • Make your garden a haven for insect diversity

  • WNC Chapter of Wild Ones - healing the Earth one yard at a time.

  • The Mimsie Lanier Center promotes the use of Georgia’s native plants in home gardens, public display gardens, and ecological restoration projects. These activities support plant diversity and the many animals that depend on native plants.

    This website is packed with tons of great information! Example: Check out The Connect to Protect Garden Guide.

  • Plant Nova Native

    While these folks are promoting practices in Virginia, they offer a wealth of great info., tips and resources

  • Tried and true native plants.

  • Grow Native

  • Native Plant Fact Sheets

  • Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat - Mid-Atlantic

  • Mt. Cuba Center is a beautiful botanic garden committed to the conservation of native plants and their habitats. The website provides a wealth of great information.

Shopping For Native Plants in Our Area

  • Native Shrubs and Perennials in Beautiful Burnsville, NC. We are committed to providing the highest quality native plants while at the same time making a positive impact on the environment.

    Learn More

  • Located along Clear Creek just six miles east of downtown Hendersonville, Milkweed Meadows is a 5th generation family farm. Its grassy "bottoms" once nourished cows that produced milk sold to Biltmore Dairy Farms in Asheville. Today, the meadows are yielding milk of a different kind — milkweed plants to help sustain monarch butterflies!

  • Saturnia Farm is located in Clyde, NC. Our mission is to provide holistically-grown, affordable specialty perennials, natives, and edible landscaping plants for the beautification and ecological benefit of Western North Carolina.

  • Blue Oak is a horticultural resource for everyone from home gardeners to small farmers. “ Through growing plants, hosting educational events, and tending our land with purpose we hope to continue to improve our bit of earth so future generations can expound on the connections that we have so enjoyed.”

  • Flower Moon Nursery - We grow trees, shrubs, and perennials that are native to the Southeast or hard to find in the trade. We are a wholesale and limited retail nursery specializing in deciduous azaleas native to the Southeast US. Our customers are landscapers, garden centers, landscape architects, and botanical gardens.

  • Wildbud Natives grows perennials, grasses, shrubs and trees for conservation and ecological applications. Based in Marshall, NC.

  • Providing education, conservation planning services and native plants.

  • Mellow Marsh Farm specializes in the propagation of plant species native to the Southeast. Our plants are grown from seed collected in the Carolinas and Virginia.

  • MR Gardens -Our small, neighborhood nursery offers high quality, sustainably grown plants. We focus on native flowers, as well as complementary plants such as groundcovers and herbs. Oakley, NC.

  • Mountain Mist Nursery sells a wide selection of plants native to the Southeast. Call ahead if you would like to visit.

  • Our small propagation nursery is located in Big Ivy in northern Buncombe County, NC next to the Pisgah National Forest. We specialize in propagating native shrubs and perennials of the southern Appalachian woodlands

  • SCNPS

    Spring and Fall Plant Sales

  • Native Plant Nurseries in NC

  • Spring and Fall Plant Sales

  • Spring Native Plant Sale

  • Mountain True - Fall Plant Sale

  • Mountain Moss

  • Asheville Greenworks - Listing of native plant species and sellers in and around Buncombe County

  • SC Native Plant Nursery

  • Big Pine Native Garden - western NC

  • Winston-Salem Native Plant nursery

  • Natural Selections Nursery - Weaverville

  • Plant Finder - Search by zip code to find plants that host the highest numbers of butterflies and moths to feed birds and other wildlife where you live.

  • Native Plant Database

  • Native Plant Directory

  • American Native Plants website provided a resource of many great articles on native plant growing and care.

  • American Beauties Native Plants

    We help you choose plants that are better for the environment, better for pollinators and better for your family by delivering expertly selected native plants that will bring you peace of mind, help you reconnect with nature and bring success and life to your garden

  • Prairie Moon Nursery

    The importance of restoring native plants to the landscape is an essential part of being a good steward. We’re here to help you join the movement. We’re committed to providing you with the best quality seed, plants, and customer service while maintaining our duty to Leopold’s land ethic.

  • MidAtlantic Native Plant Farm - Specializing in native plants of the Mid Atlantic Region and eastern seaboard since 1985.

  • Wood Thrush Natives

    Growers of Rare and Unusual Native Appalachian Plants

  • Izel Native Plants developed a unique model in horticulture by consolidating the inventories of several native plant nurseries in a user-friendly website. As our customers, you will have access to a greater selection of native plants in one convenient website than could be found through any individual nursery. This is one-stop-shopping at its best, from the convenience of your home or office, and with plants delivered to your door for free.

  • Gardens of the Blue Ridge

    We are now in our 126th, since 1892, year of this Family owned business operating as North Carolina’s oldest licensed Nursery. We supply quality wildflowers and native plants to our customers in the U. S. and around the world.

  • The Pollen Nation is a mail-order nursery providing quality plant material for your gardening palate. We offer a wide selection of perennials and grasses native to the Eastern United States, all grown as deep landscape plugs.

  • Shipping Landscape ready plants from central Virginia

    Over 400 plants that are native to the United States with most native to the eastern states.

  • North Carolina Native Plants

    Offering a selection of rare and unusual NC native plants.

  • Prairie Nursery - Sustainable. Environmentally-friendly. These words are Prairie Nursery history. From small backyard gardens to multi-acre restorations, native plants help our customers create healthy, sustainable landscapes.

  • Camp Creek Native

  • Indigenous Landscapes

  • Kentucky Native Plant nursery

  • Roundstone Native seeds

  • Direct Native Plants

  • My Home Park - Selling and shipping native plant gardens, offering great pre-made collections.

Online Native Plant Nurseries & Resources

Wildlife & Habitat Information

Forest Ecology

Invasive Species ID & Removal

  • Pearsons Falls is a unique botanical preserve in Polk County comprised of over 300 acres of rich cove forest, spring-fed streams and a moderate 1/4-mile trail to a 90 ft. waterfall.

  • The Botanical Gardens at Asheville are located in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, one of the most diverse temperate ecosystems in the world! Our native plant collection includes more than 500 species native to the Southern Appalachians. These include many species of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, vines, grasses and sedges. Habitats vary from sunny and dry to shaded and wet, allowing for many suitable niche species. We have more than 70 species of plants that scientists consider uncommon, rare or endangered on a regional, state or federal level.

  • Nestled in the Southern Appalachian Mountains just south of Asheville, The North Carolina Arboretum offers acres of cultivated gardens and groomed trails featuring some of the most beautiful, botanically-diverse plants in the region.

  • The Park at Flat Rock is 66 acres of open green spaces, wetlands, scenic trails, a breathtaking array of local flora and fauna, as well as a playground for the kids, all nestled in the Village of Flat Rock, North Carolina!

  • SC Botanical Garden - Clemson

  • Hatcher Garden - Spartanburg Imagine a place where nature's charm meets the thrill of learning, and stunning scenery provides a sanctuary for wildlife. It exists, right here, beyond the bustle of Spartanburg.

    Hatcher Garden has delighted, educated, and inspired visitors for generations. Join us for an event, lend a hand, or just come stroll and unwind. Our gardens are here for you to enjoy from dawn to dusk, 365 days a year, free of charge.

  • Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

  • High above the lakes of Western North Carolina — with a stunning panoramic view of the mountains spanning the Blue Ridge Parkway — Southern Highlands Reserve showcases native plants and the rare ecology of high-elevation Southern Appalachian forests.

  • The Highlands Botanical Garden of the Highlands Biological Station is both a refuge and a showcase for a wide array of the rich botanical diversity of the Blue Ridge Escarpment and environs.

  • Bullington Gardens’ Mission: To connect children and adults with the natural world through science-based horticultural education; to demonstrate the beauty and value of native and ornamental plants through themed public gardens; and to enhance life skills for children and adults with physical or mental challenges through horticultural therapy.

Gardens & Preserves in the Region to Explore

Resources For Educators

Podcasts to Tune In To

Our Favorite Books

  • Native Plants of the Southeast, Larry Mellichamp

  • The Southeastern Native Plant Primer, Larry Mellichamp and Paula Gross

  • Gardening with Native Plants of the South, Sally Wasowski with Andy Wasowski

  • Pollinators of Native Plants, Heather Holm

  • Great Natives for Tough Places, Brooklyn Botanical Garden All-Regions Guide

  • Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, Updated and Expanded, Dr. Doug Tallamy

  • Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard, Dr. Doug Tallamy

  • A New Garden Ethic, Benjamin Vogt

  • Gardening for Moths, Jim McCormac and Chelsea Gottfried

  • Wildscape, Nancy Lawson

  • The Humane Gardener, Nancy Lawson

  • The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Tree, Dr. Doug Tallamy

  • The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden, Rick Darke & Doug Tallamy

  • Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv

  • Gardening with Native Plants of the South, Sally Wasowski with Andy Wasowski

  • The Forest Unseen, David George Haskell

  • The Song of Trees, David George Haskell

  • The Wild Garden, William Robinson with new chapters by Rick Darke

  • The American Woodland Garden, Rick Darke

  • Wildflower Perennials for Your Garden, Bebe Miles

  • Pollinators of Native Plants, Heather Holm

  • 100 Plants to Feed the Bees, The Xerces Society

  • Raising Butterflies in the Garden, Brenda Dziedzic

  • A New Garden Ethic, Benjamin Vogt

  • How to Create a Wildlife Garden, Christine & Michael Lavelle

  • Climate Change Gardening for the South, Barbara J. Sullivan

  • Bee Native Flower Pot Power, Flora Caputo

  • A Gradening Awakening, Mary Reynolds

  • We are the ARK, Mary Reynolds

  • Lawns into Meadows, Owen Wormser

  • Georgia Native Plant Society - Extensive Reading List

  • Saving the Wild South, Georgann Eubanks

  • The Natural Gardens of North Carolina, B.W. Wells

  • Half Earth, Edward O Wilson

  • Native Plants for the Small Yard, Kate Brands

  • Essential Native Trees and Shrubs for the Eastern United Sates, Tony Dove and Ginger Woolridge

“To be surprised, to wonder, is to begin to understand."

– José Ortega y Gasset