From the EPA: “Ecoregions are areas where ecosystems (and the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources) are generally similar.”

Characteristics such as geology, landforms, soils, vegetation, climate, land use, wildlife, and hydrology help identify an ecoregion.

There are four levels of ecoregions — I, II, III, and IV — the higher the number, the more specific the region.

We are located in:
Level I - Eastern Temperate Forests (8.0)
Level II - Southeastern USA Plains (8.3)
Level III - Northern Piedmont (8.3.1)
Level IV - Piedmont Uplands (64c)

From the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service: “Range scientists and agronomists have shown that individual species having a large geographical distribution vary considerably in such characteristics as plant height, growth habits, maturation dates, leaf appearance, and reproductive habits. These characteristics are not distributed randomly throughout the range of the species but are clustered into ecological regions (ecoregions) or seed transfer zones. Plants within these ecological regions are known as ecotypes.” Read more…

From the University of Maryland: “Local ecotypes are native plant species that have a genetic background typical for the local region and adapted to it.”

Said another way, “Native plants have what’s called a local ecotype. That means the plant has genetically evolved and adapted over very long periods of time to the soil and climate conditions of a particular area. “

Here is the best simplified example:

Perhaps you’ve traveled north or south during the springtime and you’ve noticed that the dogwoods are blooming at different times — earlier in the south, and later in the north.

The same follows for native plants grown from seeds that come from different locations. You can buy seeds for New England aster from a reputable company in Minnesota. However, because these seeds come from plants that are grown further north, they are genetically adapted to bloom later than New England asters grown from seeds gathered here in the Piedmont.

This presents a problem for our pollinators and other insects, whose life cycles depend on the availability of nectar and host plants at very specific times — remember, the lifespan of the average butterfly is only 2-4 weeks!

So you can purchase seeds or plants from a different ecoregion, and they will still grow and bloom, but they may not support your local pollinators and wildlife in the ways that you want them to.

Timing is just one factor — there is still much research to be done and we are only beginning to understand the importance of local genetics for native plants and plant communities.

We grow all of our perennials from ethically sourced seeds, plugs, cuttings, and divisions from the Piedmont Uplands ecoregion (Level IV region #63c).

We grow our trees and shrubs from seedlings produced by the Virginia Department of Forestry.

Starting in Spring 2024 our new Ruckersville nursery will be open by appointment. You will have our full, undivided attention to answer your native plants questions, or you can browse on your own.

We will also be selling our plants at the Greene County Farmers Market. The market is located at 40 Celt Rd, Stanardsville.

Market hours are Saturdays from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm.

We also take orders via email for pickup at the nursery by appointment.

In 2024 we will be adding native trees and shrubs and a much larger selection of native perennial forbs and grasses. Our inventory is continuously expanding as local ecotype seeds become available.

Click here to see our current list of plants.

We grow our trees and shrubs from bare-root seedlings sourced from the Virginia Department of Forestry.

No.

Email me as we might just have what you’re looking for in our growing pipeline!

And if we don’t, Virginia Native Plant Society maintains a list of native plant nurseries across the state.

We highly recommend you join your local chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society. VNPS chapters host valuable educational events including walks, lectures, and more.

You can also join the VNPS Discussion Group on Facebook — many members in there are a wealth of knowledge!

Also, check out our Resources page for many great books, apps, documents, and more!

Last, but far from least, jump in! There’s no better learning than doing it first hand.

Yes! It turns out that research has shown that where you place your garden and how you arrange your plants matters!

The right location and arrangement can increase the number of monarch caterpillars by up to 4x!

Read this fascinating study to learn more…

Our new nursery is in Ruckersville, in Greene County.

The nursery is about 18 minutes north of Hollymead Towne Center, and 30 minutes north of Barracks Road Shopping Center — or 19 minutes south of the town of Madison.

Yes! In 2024 our new nursery will be open by appointment. Sign up for our email newsletter to be notified when the new scheduling link is available.

We plan to offer installation services beginning in 2024.

I am not a designer. However, I am happy to help you locate a reputable native plants landscape designer in your area.

Yes! We can deliver plants within a 30 minute radius of Ruckersville, VA. Our delivery fee is $20.

Because plants are living things and we have no control over their care once they leave us, we cannot guarantee them. We will do our best to help you ensure that you are purchasing the right plants for the right place — a key to having native plants that thrive — and we will provide tips on helping your new plants get established successfully. You may be amazed at how resilient they are!

If your garden is accessible to deer and rabbits you may need to protect the small plants until they are established. When plants are tiny, many of them are very tempting to deer and rabbits, even the native plants that critters supposedly “don’t eat.”

Our nursery is fenced to keep the tender young plants safe. If fencing is not an option, you may want to try Liquid Fence, a spray made from garlic and putrefied eggs, for protection from deer and rabbits until the plants are well established.

Another common best practice is to plant in mass, so that deer browse is less devastating.

2023 was our inaugural year.

There are no job openings at this time. But check back with us as we grow!