Native Plant Program

Photo credit: Ginger Van Ryzin

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2025 Catalog PDF

Community Partners

Welcome to the GSWA Plant for Pollinators program!

Thank you for supporting the Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA) and joining us for the 5th Annual Plant for Pollinators Program! Together, we are fostering a healthier environment by expanding native plant gardens and cultivating vibrant habitats for pollinators and birds—the unsung heroes of our ecosystem. These efforts not only enhance biodiversity but also help sustain the intricate balance of nature in our communities.

Now, let’s embark on a journey to transform your outdoor spaces! From spring’s first blooms to fall’s final bursts of color, create a thriving sanctuary where butterflies, birds, and bees can flourish—and where the beauty of nature takes center stage.

 

Get email updates on the 2025 Plant for Pollinators program

To ensure you don’t miss any updates, make sure you’re on our Native Plant Mailing List. Subscribers receive vital program details, including webinar reminders, helpful gardening tips, pickup instructions, as well as volunteer opportunities. Don’t miss out—CLICK HERE to join or update your subscription!

Let’s prep for our pollinators!

Mark your calendar for our highly-anticipated “Plant for Pollinators” webinar series as we once-again turn our attention to native plants and the essential role pollinators play in the ecosystem. In partnership with our plant program partners and led by nationally acclaimed experts, we are offering four new hour-long, information-packed webinars leading up to our 5th annual, online Native Plant for Pollinators sale running April 1-18.

Register for all four at once!

This streamlined process guarantees timely reminder emails with the Zoom link for each of the four talks, and ensures you receive the replay links.

CLICK TO REGISTERFOR ALL 4 

Or – register for individual webinars below.

Please consider a $10 donation for each webinar you attend. Your gift helps us to keep improving the quality, diversity, and draw of the speakers we provide and covers the increased program costs of securing them and their information packed presentations.

Plant for Pollinators Webinar #1: From Wasteland to Wonder: Biodiversity Shifts

Create biodiversity at home by working WITH, rather than against, nature. Basil Camu is a treecologist, arborist, and groundbreaking author. Simple, actionable steps are his starting point. His endpoint is a radical ecological shift that affects regional biodiversity. Webinar is free; suggested donation is $10.

Learn more and register HERE

Plant for Pollinators Webinar #2: Practical Gardening

Let’s get practical with a discussion of the nuts and bolts of native plant gardening. Join Bianca Wright, a Westfield-based native plant expert and landscape designer, for practical steps and design advice including the ongoing care of a native garden through the year. Webinar is free; suggested donation is $10.

Learn more and register HERE

Plant for Pollinators Webinar #3: The Secret Lives of Wild Bees

You’ve probably heard “Save The Bees!” But do you know which bees need saving? Dr. Nick Dorian will introduce you to the wild bees of the northeast. There are over 4000 species of bees that inhabit North America, and most don’t live in hives or make honey. In fact, wild bees come in every size, shape, and color you can imagine, and they live all around us, hiding in plain sight. Webinar is free; suggested donation is $10.

Learn more and register HERE

Plant for Pollinators Webinar #4: Overview and Plant Sale Kick Off

The plant sale opens at noon, April 1. What should you buy? Join GSWA’s Director of Education and Stewardship for an in-depth look at the 37 native perennials on the list. Hazel will set the stage for why natives are important, cover the “how to” of going native, and share insights about the wildlife values of the species offered at this year’s sale. Webinar is free; suggested donation is $10.

Learn more and register HERE

Your 2025 plant ordering process—links to come!

We’re keeping it simple! This year, you’ll enjoy the same user-friendly ordering platform as last year. You’ll be able to browse, purchase, and plan with ease—whether you’re shopping for Garden Kits, Individual Species, or additional orderable Native Plant Program items. Preview links for the plant catalog and sale will be shared in the coming months—stay tuned!

As the program grows, we will be adding links and resources to this page in the coming months. Stay tuned, and thank you for taking an active role in preserving our environment! For specific questions about plants or garden designs, reach out to us at plantsale@greatswamp.org. For technical inquiries, please contact nrago@greatswamp.org.

How to get started—links to come!

Step 1: Explore the Native Plants Catalog

  • Option 1: Use the Downloadable Interactive Native Plant Catalog for detailed searches right from your desktop.
  • Option 2: Use the Online Native Plants Overview, a fully mobile-friendly and accessible on your smartphone or desktop.

Step 2: Plan Your Native Garden

  • Create a thoughtful plan by noting the plants you’d like to order and your preferred 2025 Pickup Location. To stay organized, take advantage of our Printable Planning Sheets, available for both the Garden Kit Planning Sheet and Individual Species Planning Sheet.

Step 3: Place Your Native Plant Order

  • Starting April 1 at 1:30 PM, CLICK HERE for access the Plant Sale Order Form to complete your plant order and select one of the 2025 Pickup Locations, Important: The pickup location is mandatory and cannot be changed after submission.
  • Plant Sale Closes on April 18 at 5:00 PM.

Orders close on April 18 at 5:00 PM. Click here to access the Plant Sale Order Form.

Step 4: Pickup Your Plants

  • Mark your calendar! Pick up your plant order on May 3 at your chosen location. Please note, once submitted, the pickup location cannot be modified.

Garden Kit Manuals

Each of the six garden kits comes with a garden owner’s manual packed with guidance on your new pollinator garden, complete with sample planting designs, seasonal maintenance schedules, pollinator information and more. Download the manuals early to help you prepare your garden.

  • Best-Behaved Manual (Separate PDF)
  • Deer Resistant Manual (Separate PDF)
  • Dry Shade Manual (Separate PDF)
  • Dry Sun Manual (Separate PDF)
  • Wet Shade Manual (Separate PDF)
  • Wet Sun Manual (Separate PDF)

Volunteer opportunities: Plant Processing Week

Calling All Volunteers

Help us prepare for this year’s sale by signing up for a volunteer shift during our Plant Processing Week! Your time and energy are essential to making this program a success. CLICK HERE to join the Native Plant List to get updates on the volunteer opportunities.

An overview of 2025 offerings—links to come!

  • Plant Sale Opens: April 1 at 1:30 PM
  • Before April 1, preview the Full Catalog List to see all available plants—36 Individual Species and six curated Garden Kits.
  • Use the downloadable Individual Species Planning Sheet and Garden Kit Planning Sheet to organize your thoughts and streamline your shopping experience.
  • Every plant in the program serves a purpose: providing critical habitat and food sources for pollinators. While our Plant – Pollinator Interactions highlights many of these beneficial relationships, the truth is, the connections between native plants, wildlife, and pollinators are virtually endless.
  • Plant Sale Closes: April 18 at 5:00 PM
  • Order Pickup: Order pickup in on May 3, with plants distributed locally to your chosen partner-operated pickup location. At checkout, you’ll need to select one of 14 local sites to finalize your order. Please note that your selection cannot be changed after submission. Explore our 2025 Pickup Locations, available through our trusted 2025 Plant Sale Partners, and plan ahead! (Locations subject to change.)

Why Native Plants Matter

The Plant for Pollinators Program goes beyond cultivating beautiful gardens—it’s about restoring life to our ecosystems. By planting native species, you’re creating essential habitats for pollinators and birds, strengthening the web of life that sustains our local environment. Together, we can transform our backyards into what acclaimed entomologist Doug Tallamy envisions as a “Homegrown National Park™”—one garden at a time.

Finding the right native plants for your garden can feel challenging. That’s why we simplify the process by offering a curated selection of plants specifically suited to our local soils and climate.

But why are native plants so critical compared to exotic or non-native varieties? While non-native plants may produce seeds or berries consumed by wildlife, they often lack the full nutritional value animals need to thrive. Pollinators and other wildlife evolved alongside native plants, relying on them for food, habitat, and reproduction throughout their life cycles. For instance, pollinator insects depend on native plants not only for nectar and pollen but also as hosts for laying eggs and feeding larvae. Many species, like the monarch butterfly, are entirely dependent on specific plants—milkweed, in their case—for survival.

This connection ripples across the ecosystem. Healthy insect populations form the foundation of the food web, supplying birds and other wildlife with the protein-rich diet they need to reproduce. Research even shows that areas require at least 70% native vegetation to support species like chickadees. Without native plants, our ecosystems simply cannot sustain themselves.

This program thrives through a collaboration between the Great Swamp Watershed Association, 15 local towns, and 10 non-governmental organizations. With their partnership—and your participation—we’re building a greener, healthier future. Join us today!