North American Native Plant Society

17/10/2024

NANPS is excited to welcome guest Speaker Stefan Weber to our 2024 AGM.

His talk, Ontario Seed Orchards Project, will take place on Zoom from 1:45 - 2:15 pm on Saturday, October 26, 2024. The AGM starts at 1:00 and a full agenda can be found on our website. Come for the whole meeting or just us join for Stefan's talk! All are welcome (only NANPS members have voting privileges).

Stefan will speak about movements around the world and in Ontario to generate excellent native plant seeds in commercial quantities, with hints on how you can contribute.

Stefan has worked with seeds for more than fifteen years - in the lab, field and nursery. He has conducted research on local adaptation, and pollination ecology. He also has a background in popular science writing, and environmental education, and has spent the past eight years advocating for seed conservation to all levels of government with the Ontario Biodiversity Council, Carolinian Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Stefan currently coordinates the Seed and Climate Change Program with the Forest Gene Conservation Association including Certified Seed Collector training.

We hope you will join us in learning from Stefan! You can register for Stefan's talk by signing up for the AGM: https://nanps2024agm.eventbrite.ca

01/10/2024

All are invited to join us on October 26th, 2024 between 1:00 and 3:00 PM for NANPS’ 2024 AGM on Zoom. Anyone from across North America is welcome to attend but only members have voting privileges. The winners of the 2024 Native Plant Video Garden Contest will be announced. Guest speaker Stefan Weber will share a presentation on international, Canadian, and provincial seed strategies, starting a seed production area, and fundamentals of seed saving. Stefan has worked with seeds for more than fifteen years and is currently coordinator of the Seed and Climate Change Program with the Forest Gene Conservation Association. Register to attend: https://nanps2024agm.eventbrite.ca

19/09/2024

At NANPS, we’re big fans of goldenrod and asters. These late bloomers provide resources for pollinators in late summer and fall, after other species have flowered. Plus this yellow/purple combo is pretty unbeatable!

Thanks to Heather McDonald, a member of our restoration committee, who snapped this photo on a recent pollinator garden maintenance day on the West Toronto Railpath.

17/09/2024

The summer 2024 edition of NANPS’ Blazing Star Newsletter is out! If you are a NANPS member, this is a reminder to check your mailbox or inbox (depending on how you've chosen to receive your copy). In this edition:

• Native plant spotlight: Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
• Harnessing native plants to combat invasive species
• ReLeaf Chatham Kent – restoring ecological diversity in an agricultural community

The Blazing Star, released quarterly, is one of the amazing benefits of NANPS membership. Learn more about membership on our website: https://nanps.org/become-a-member/

11/09/2024

Last Saturday, NANPs hosted our first ever garden tour and all we can say is wow! We are so grateful for the dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers and enthusiastic participants who took part in Sayeh’s Garden Tour and Scavenger Hunt - and of course to Sayeh herself who so generously volunteered her incredible garden to NANPS for this event and designed an information packed meander through its many interesting features. We learned about larval host plants, about the messy gardening method and boulevard gardens. We learned about native bees, winter sowing, the benefits of including a pond/wetland in your garden, and so much more. And then we all got to choose a native plant lovingly grown from seed by the Underhill Seed Sitters to transplant a little bit of the magic of Sayeh’s garden into our own.

Big, big thanks to all who participated! This was the first but hopefully not the last!

03/09/2024

September is here! This is your reminder to sign up for Sayeh's Garden Tour & Scavenger Hunt if you haven't already done so. There's only one space remaining at 11 am but there's still room to join the other time slots. We hope to see you there!

🌿🍃🌱🌿🍃🌱🌿🍃🌱🌿🍃🌱🌿🍃🌱🌿🍃

Over the past 18 years, Sayeh Beheshti has been inviting the web of life into her garden and now she is opening it up to human visitors.

With the generous help of friends and volunteers, Sayeh has organized a fun scavenger hunt that offers visitors a chance to get to know the plants, healthy habitats, and the wildlife they support in her garden. Event attendees will also learn how to grow native plants from seed and take home a plant grown by the Underhill Seedsitters!

Sayeh has been volunteering with NANPS for many years. She is passionate about native plants and a recipient of the NANPS Native Plant Garden Video Award.

WHEN: September 7th, 2024. Tickets can be reserved for one of five one hour time slots (11am, noon, 1pm, 2pm, or 3pm). The rain date will be September 8th in the unlikely event of a downpour.

WHERE: Sayeh's garden is located in Toronto, east of DVP and Lawrence East, and easily accessed by TTC. The complete address will be provided upon registration.

This is a free event but you must reserve your place in advance as spaces are limited. You can sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sayehs-garden-tour-and-scavenger-hunt-tickets-969787629907?aff=oddtdtcreator

19/08/2024

NANPS is pleased to announce a very special event - our first garden tour! Over the past 18 years, Sayeh Beheshti has been inviting the web of life into her garden and now she is opening it up to human visitors.

With the generous help of friends and volunteers, Sayeh has organized a fun scavenger hunt that offers visitors a chance to get to know the plants, healthy habitats, and the wildlife they support in her garden. Event attendees will also learn how to grow native plants from seed and take home a plant grown by the Underhill Seedsitters!

Sayeh has been volunteering with NANPS for many years. She is passionate about native plants and a recipient of the NANPS Native Plant Garden Video Award.

WHEN: September 7th, 2024. Tickets can be reserved for one of five one hour time slots (11am, noon, 1pm, 2pm, or 3pm). The rain date will be September 8th in the unlikely event of a downpour.

WHERE: Sayeh's garden is located in Toronto, east of DVP and Lawrence East, and easily accessed by TTC. The complete address will be provided upon registration.

This is a free event but you must reserve your place in advance as spaces are limited. Reserve your ticket here: https://sayehsgardentour.eventbrite.ca

14/08/2024

Friends Peace Teams recently held a webinar with the owner of Morning Star Conservancy, Leonardo Mercado and his fascinating talk "The Native American Church and Pe**te Habitat Protection". Please take the time to watch this webinar, and check out Morningstar Conservancy's website!

14/08/2024

Hello everyone,
please remember that the deadline for submissions of your entry to the Native Garden Contest is September 1st! Submit to [email protected]

01/08/2024

Seeking volunteers for the NANPS Land Management Committee!

NANPS owns two conservation properties: Shining Tree Woods in the Carolinian zone of southern Ontario and Zinkan Island Cove on the west shore of the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron. We are currently seeking volunteers to join our Land Management Committee whose work in the near future involves discussing the committee’s priorities, updating bioinventories, planning visits to and developing land management plans for the two properties.

The time commitment for the Land Management Committee is 4 to 6 hours per month. This includes one meeting in the month and other volunteer activities that the Committee might be doing.

If you would like to volunteer with the Land Management Committee, please contact [email protected] to learn more and apply.

29/07/2024

The summer is just flying by! We hope everyone is finding some time to soak up the sun like these dense blazing stars (Liatris spicata). Did you know that one of the benefits of NANPS memberships is our quarterly publication, The Blazing Star, which takes its name from these beautiful blooms? Back issues are also available for browsing on our website (no membership required) and a wealth of native plant knowledge is available within their pages. Learn more on our website: https://nanps.org/blazing-star/

08/07/2024

Registration for Ontario Invasive Plant Council's Emerging Invasive Pests Webinar is now open. Use code NANPS25 for a 25% discount!

Human-made pathways such as the movement of infested firewood, are one of the main ways invasive pests spread into new areas. Emerging invasive pests threaten the recreational, ecological and economic values of Ontario’s natural environment. Increasing awareness about emerging invasive pests, how to identify and report them is crucial to prevent their spread and impact. In this 1hr 45mins session, participants will be introduced to three emerging invasive species in Ontario and learn about identification, biology and life cycle, pathways of spread and impacts. This session will also include a guest speaker panel. This session will cover the following emerging invasive pests:

🌱Oak Wilt
🌱Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA)
🌱Spotted Lanternfly (SLF)

This webinar will take place on August 29th, 2024 12pm - 1:45pm EST
Cost: $25

Register Here: https://loom.ly/aXO_AFo

This webinar is eligible for 1.75 International Society for Arboriculture (Ontario) Continuing Education Units (CECs)

This webinar is eligible for 1.75 Integrated Pest Management Continuing Education Credits (CECs)

This webinar is eligible for 1 Society for Ecological Restoration Continuing Education Credit (CEC) under the Certified Ecological Restoration Practioner (CERP) Program

Direct all questions to: [email protected]

13/06/2024

NANPS’ Restoration Committee recently visited Toronto’s High Park to observe some of the native species in residence there and brainstorm activities for the year ahead. Just a few of the beauties spotted are pictured here.

1. Wild lupine (Lupinus perennis)
2. Sweet-fern (Comptonia peregrina)
3. Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
4. Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum)

17/05/2024

IT’S ALMOST HERE!

Our spring native plant sale is happening tomorrow on Saturday, May 18, 2024, from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm.

We hope you will join us in the Floral Hall at the Toronto Botanical Garden (777 Lawrence Ave. East in Toronto).

We’ll have wildflowers, vines, ferns, shrubs, grasses, sedges, and trees for all habitat types. Don’t hesitate to ask our knowledgeable volunteers about what will work best in your garden.

And please stop by the membership table to pick up resources on native plant gardening, become a NANPS member, or sign up to volunteer at future NANPS events!

14/05/2024

With less than a week to go until our native plant sale, here is another native plant that you may want to consider picking up on May 18th!

Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is an early bloomer, referred to as “a pollinator banquet,” by plant sale committee member Kathy Edgar.

Find all plant sale details, including a list of available species, on our website: https://nanps.org/online-plant-sale-finished/

Photographer: Matt Ireland - check out his beautiful images on iNaturalist!

11/05/2024

With just one week remaining until our spring plant sale, the plant sale committee wanted to highlight a few plants that will be available on May 18th!

The flat-topped white aster (Doellingeria umbellata) pictured here is an early bloomer, providing a food source for multitudes of pollinators.

Visit our website for all plant sale details, including a full list of species: https://nanps.org/online-plant-sale-finished/

Photographer: Richard Kingsley

10/05/2024

As we count down to our spring plant sale, the plant sale committee wanted to highlight a few plants that will be available on May 18th!

Up first is pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea). This beauty is larval host for the American Lady and Painted Lady caterpillars. A butterfly factory!

Find all plant sale details, including a full list of species, on our website: https://nanps.org/online-plant-sale-finished/

Photographer: Matt Ireland - check out his beautiful images on iNaturalist!

03/05/2024

Looking for something?

The NANPS Spring Plant Sale is fast approaching and we want to make sure you have everything you need to make the most of your visit! The first thing you should know is that our sale is organized by habitat. Why do we do it this way? To emulate nature. At its best, native plant gardening is about trying to match the plant to the place. Voila, habitat! So whether you have sun, half-sun, wet or woodland conditions in your garden, you will find a corresponding table in the Floral Hall. And if you have something specific in mind, you’ll find that ferns, shrubs and trees, vines, grasses and sedges and rare plants will each have their own tables, too. If any questions arise while shopping the sale, don’t hesitate to ask our friendly and knowledgeable volunteers. They’ll be thrilled at the opportunity to discuss one of their favourite subjects!

Now, when you are finished shopping for plants, stop by the membership table to become a member or to volunteer to make next year’s annual plant sale even better!

Date: May 18, 2024
Time: 9:30 am - 2:30 pm
Location: Toronto Botanical Garden

02/05/2024

This years Garden Video contest has begun! Please review previous submissions on our Youtube channel for inspiration! Remember to only submit video files in an .mp4 format, that can be transmitted directly to [email protected], please!

12/04/2024

ONLINE ORDERING IS NOW LIVE!

https://nanps.org/online-plant-sale-finished/

Our spring native plant sale is happening on Saturday May 18, 2024 at the Toronto Botanical Garden (9:30 am - 2:30 pm). We will be offering a wide selection of native plants from six ethical growers, including herbaceous plants, shrubs, trees, vines and grasses for all habitat types.

Advance ordering is available on our website until April 28th (or while quantities last) for NANPS members. A $25 membership fee can be paid before choosing your plants. Orders will be available for pickup at the sale on May 18. The in-person sale is open for everyone (no membership required) and knowledgeable volunteers will be on hand to assist you.

For more information contact [email protected].

27/03/2024

Our spring native plant sale is happening on May 18, 2024.

ONLINE SALES START NEXT WEEK!

We are working hard to offer a wide selection of native plants from six ethical growers approved by the North American Native Plant Society. We wanted to include herbaceous plants, shrubs, trees, vines and grasses for all habitat types, be it prairie or woodland, wet or dry.

Online orders will be ready for in-person pickup at the Toronto Botanical Garden - Floral Hall - on Saturday, May 18.

Advance ordering is a benefit of membership, join or renew at check-out.

Plants will also be available to purchase on the day of the sale where knowledgeable volunteers will be on hand to assist you.

Availability for the online sale will be limited so be sure to shop early for the best selection. Sales will go live on the NANPS website next week. For now, you can browse last year’s plant list to get a sense of the range of species that will be available: https://nanps.org/plant-sale-finished/

For more information contact [email protected].

24/03/2024

The Recording of our March 19th, 2024 webinar, The Risks of Climate Change for the Home Garden with Kimberly Bell, is now available!

In this webinar NANPS board member,Kimberly Bell discusses the implications of climate change on the home garden. Listen as she goes through what to expect from climate change in Ontario over the next 25 years, its associated risks for gardening (including your health), and what we can do to soften the impacts on our gardens. Recommendations are included on growing techniques (e.g. for maximum vegetable yields) and safety measures for a successful and safe home garden.

https://youtu.be/dWRk945g61g

In The Risks of Climate Change for the Home Garden: A Risk Management Approach for Ontario, guest speaker Kimberly Bell discusses the implications of climate...

19/03/2024

NANPS will have a table at the Scarborough Seedy Saturday and Green Fair on April 6th (10 am - 2:30 pm) at the Centre for Immigration and Community Services in Scarborough (2330 Midland Ave.). Come say hello and pick up some native plant seeds as well as gardening and green living tips!

Just over 4 weeks away the Scarborough Seedy Saturday & Green Fair returns on April 6, 10 am to 2:30 pm at a NEW LOCATION the Centre for Immigrant and Community Services ,2330 Midland Ave.

This popular annual Gardening and Eco event has been running for over 10 years in Scarborough.
The CICS SSSGF will have over 45 displays – with seed vendors, a seed exchange, honey vendors, flower societies, park associations, garden associations, gardening gurus ,eco organizations, nature groups and more!

More info facebook.com/SSSGFair

11/03/2024

Reminder: Our March webinar is just over one week away! We hope you will join us on March 19th for The Risks of Climate Change for the Home Garden: A Risk Management Approach for Ontario. In this webinar, guest speaker and NANPS board member Kimberly Bell will discuss the implications of climate change on the home garden. Listen as she goes through what to expect from climate change in Ontario over the next 25 years, its associated risks for gardening (including your health), and what we can do to soften the impacts on our gardens. She will include recommendations on growing techniques (e.g. for maximum vegetable yields) and safety measures for a successful and safe home garden.

Learn more about the speaker and register to attend this free event here: https://nanps.org/?post_type=simple_events&p=100487