Native Perennials and Native Perennial Cultivars

ABOUT OUR NATIVE PERENNIALS:

In the strictest sense, a perennial plant is a plant with a life cycle that extends beyond two years. For the sake of clarity, we further narrow the definition to flowering perennials other than graminoids (grasses, sedges and rushes) and plants that have above-ground woody parts. From a botanical point of view, these are referred to as forbs and herbs.

NATIVE PERENNIALS FOR SALE:

Our store offers a large selection of native perennials for sale online as well as some native perennial cultivars that have been vetted to be environmentally sound. The majority of these perennial plants are available as perennial plugs, which is the most economical way to buy live native plants. If you are looking for specimens or smaller quantities, we do have perennials for sale in nursery quarts and pints, and for the do-it-yourselfer we also sell native perennials seed.

FINDING THE NATIVE PERENNIAL PLANTS THAT ARE RIGHT FOR YOU:

Finding the right plant for the right place can be challenging. Fortunately, nature has evolved in such a way that there are plants that will thrive in every environment. Izel Native Plants makes searching easy. Use our filters to find which native plants are native to your state. Then, dig deeper and find native plants that are deer resistant, drought tolerant or adapted to wetlands, that are adapted to full sun or full shade. Find native perennials that attract pollinators or provide food for birds. You can further refine your search to find native perennials based on flower color or plant height. We make it easy to turn your challenges into opportunities. Browse away and have fun with it. You might be surprised by the many plant solutions you will find.

STARTING A NATIVE PLANT GARDEN:

Understanding your soil and light conditions are an important first step. It is best to find plants that are adapted to your environmental conditions, than to try to change those conditions to meet a plant’s growing requirements. Remember, it’s all about finding the right plant for the right place.

Keep it simple at first. As gardeners, we all like playing in the dirt. We also want low maintenance gardens so that we have the time to sit back and enjoy our gardens. Start by choosing plants that will provide your garden with a strong, visually attractive and resilient foundation. For large designs, make a repetitive pattern with your selection to create a matrix planting. Native ornamental grasses provide good options for this approach. Then select specimens that will stand out as focal points and are chosen for different seasons of peak interest. Last, but not least, select native ground covers for the bottom layer. These are very important to reduce weed pressure and maintain adequate soil moisture. Think of ground cover plants as green mulch. 

Starting a native plant garden from scratch takes a bit of patience. Some plants take time to mature and your design will change as they do. Keep in mind that there are no such things as mistakes, only opportunities. The pleasure of gardening is working with an evolving canvas that can be edited and fine tuned at will. Your patience will be rewarded in many ways and the plant diversity that you bring back to the landscape will please your senses and all the living things that are essential to create thriving, rich ecosystems.