The Native Plant Society of New Jersey is a non-profit organization founded in 1983.
We have over 1,500 members and are organized into county and regional chapters. Our members include gardeners, horticulturists, naturalists, landscape designers, students, and native plant enthusiasts from all walks of life.
Our mission is to promote the appreciation, protection, and study of New Jersey’s Native Flora.
Resources
Current NPSNJ
What’s happening now
Recent announcements, chapter programs, statewide webinars, plant swaps, field trips, and deadlines worth seeing first.
News
More newsPresident’s Letter – April
Episode 30 of the Wildstory
President’s Letter — March
NPSNJ Announces 2026 Grant Programs
Episode 29 of the Wildstory
Winter 2026 Newsletter
Episode 28 of the Wildstory
President’s Letter – February 2026
Plant spotlights
2026 Native Plants of the Year
POTY
Bunchberry
Cornus canadensis
Cornus canadensis, Bunchberry, is a tiny herbaceous dogwood of cool, moist forests with rich organic soil. In New Jersey it is critically imperiled, making it a fitting POTY. Its white “flowers” are showy bracts around a small flower cluster, followed by red fruit eaten by birds and mammals.
POTY
Virginia Sweetspire
Itea virginica
Itea virginica, Virginia Sweetspire, is a graceful native shrub for moist woodland edges, rain gardens, and mixed borders. It carries arching clusters of white flowers in late spring, provides nectar for native bees and butterflies, offers cover for birds, and brings purple-red foliage in fall.
Awesome Native Plants
Great Plants from Hubert and Millie Ling
Selections from the Awesome Native Plants site by NPSNJ past president Hubert Ling and Millie Ling.
True Spring Ephemeral
Trout Lily
Erythronium americanum
You won’t find this plant in July. It’s ephemeral, gone underground. There is a wait of 4-7 years for this plant to form 2 leaves and a flower from seed. Before then it has only one leaf. What is it doing in all those years?
True Spring Ephemeral:
Dwarf Ginseng
Panax trifolius
These easy to recognize balls of flowers are all male flowers. The alternative are bisexual flowers that form a less distinctive inflorescence. Each year the plant has to decide what kind of flowers to grow!
True Spring Ephemeral
Virginia Spring Beauty
Claytonia virginica
These plentiful delicate petite flowers will always bring delight to a spring hike. If you look carefully, you will note that the flower goes though 2 phases. Also read about the life cycle of a spring ephemeral
True Spring Ephemeral
Slender Toothwort
Cardamine angustata
Cardamine angustata is rare in NJ, although globally secure. It is differentiated from other toothworts by its cauline and rhizomal leaves. They are different in shape. Its flowers are similar to the other toothworts.