Other Websites and Resources

Below are a variety of links to sites offering diverse and valuable information on native plants. 

Best of New Jersey and Nearby Native Plant Resources:

These sites are great places to start. Sites marked with a * include locations you can visit.

Gardens & Arboreta:

Public gardens, arboreta, and garden associations are increasingly turning to native plants and we are delighted about this, but the history of these much-beloved institutions is checkered. Many invasive species have been brought in at such places and their historic encouragement of indiscriminate collecting worldwide has not only been responsible for the spread of invasive species of plants and animals, it has also gone hand in hand with the colonial exploitation of indigenous populations overseas for the growth and harvest of these plants. Please encourage any public garden or arboretum you belong to grow more native plants, host native plant sales, and create native plant programming.

Pine Barrens Links:

The pine barrens of New Jersey is an unique invaluable habitat. Discover all about this unique set of ecosystems by clicking the links below. 

General Links:

Almost every state has a native plant society. They are not included here, but can be found at this page maintained by the American Horticultural Association.

Blogs:

Blogs have been around for more than twenty years now and, from the looks of things are making a comeback as young people abandon social media. Here is a small selection. NJ based blogs are marked (NJ).

Podcasts and Vlogs:

Podcasts and Vlogs (video blogs) are a great way to learn about native plants. Here is a selection of some of the best.

Native Plants, Healthy Planet (NJ)

Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick, the owners of the wholesale Pinelands Nursery in Southern New Jersey run this podcast which has a specific mission of highlighting the work non-profit organizations are doing to restore habitats and bring back native plants, focussing on the New Jersey area but has plenty of useful information for native plant enthusiasts.

Rooted

Documentary filmmaker Jared Flesher and botanist and Wild Ridge Plants co-owner Jared Rosenbaum investigate one plant per episode of “Rooted,” a web series on YouTube. Each episode tells the story of a different native New Jersey native plant, the wild places they can be found in, and why they matter. These are beautifully made videos and a gift for all of us who live in New Jersey.

Wild Plant Culture (NJ)

Jared Rosenbaum and his wife Rachel Mackow own and operate Wild Ridge Plants, a farm in western New Jersey where they grow beautiful New Jersey native plants. Jared’s Wild Plant Culture podcasts consist of long-form interviews with noted authorities in the field, such as Leslie Sauer, ecological restoration practitioner and author of The Once and Future Forest or permaculture expert Dale Hendricks. Jared’s blog is here.

Backyard Ecology. Exploring Nature in Your Backyard

Shannon Trimboli hosts Backyard Ecology. She lives in south-central Kentucky and is a wildlife biologist, environmental educator, author, and owner of a nursery specializing in plants for pollinators and wildlife conservation. Backyard Ecology begins with the idea that nature isn’t just “out there” in national parks and other “pristine” places but rather that “nature is everywhere and there are still plenty of discoveries to be made about the common species inhabiting our yards and communities.” She also has a YouTube channel.

Cultivating Place

Host Jennifer Jewell writes, “Gardens are more than collections of plants. Gardens and Gardeners are intersectional spaces and agents for positive change in our world. Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden, a weekly public radio program & podcast is a voice for, with, and about gardeners and nature lovers of all manner around the globe, exploring how and why we garden – what we mean when we garden.” Well over 50% of the episodes are about native plants. Inspirational.

The Field Guides

Hear the sound of crunching leaves as Bill Michalek and Steve Fleck walk through the woods while discussing an aspect of the natural world, generally in western New York State, a similar ecological system to our own. Like Matt Candieas, they both have science backgrounds so they research peer-reviewed literature for the podcasts, which often leads to their underscoring just how much more science there is left to do on the natural world surrounding us. Although the Field Guides isn’t oriented toward growing plants, their enthusiasm urges you to get out into the woods and hike.

In Defense of Plants

In Defense of Plants isn’t entirely about native plants, since its focus is global, but botanist Matt Candeias, Ph.D. is an enthusiastic guide to the world of botany and his obsession with plants and the science behind them is infectious. There aren’t many better ways to get excited about plants and botanical science. Matt is enthusiastic about native plants from every place on this planet, finds weird and wonderful topics together with insightful guests from the world of botanical research, and is a top-notch interviewer. Matt also maintains a blog at www.indefenseofplants.com

The Native Plant Podcast

Mike Berkeley of Growild Native Plant Nursery and landscape designer John Magee host the native plant podcast, interviewing horticulturists, designers, botanists, and other individuals in the field such as Larry Weaner and Thomas Rainer. The Native Plant Podcast hosts are based in Tennessee and the mid-Atlantic area, but many of their topics apply to us as well.

A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach

Margaret Roach has decades of gardening experience and is one of America’s most loved writers about gardening. Margaret’s podcast usually consists of an interview with a noted authority on matters such as composting, milkweed, attracting birds butterflies, native plants, as well as food and many other topics. Not all topics are native-plant oriented, but addresses native plants frequently. She often teams up with New Jersey gardener and author Ken Druse to discuss topical themes and answer questions. Margaret’s podcast—as well as the excellent (and newly revised) book the podcast is named after—is particularly informative for gardeners. Margaret maintains a blog at her site and has a New York Times column. The archives of Ken’s Real Dirt podcast are full of useful information for gardeners as well.

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