Growing Natives

Dalea purpurea

Symphytrichum novae-angliae

Everything that’s old will someday be new again. This is such a uniquely human phenomenon, and in recent years I’ve realized that, the older I get, the more examples of it I see in everyday life. Look no further than the resurgence of baggy jeans, scrunchies, and vinyl records. Skinny jeans took a brief hiatus, but, fortunately, I didn’t have the heart to purge them from my closet before they made a welcome comeback. The basis of this repeating nature of trends probably stems from a combination of factors, like generational cycles, the influence of social media, and nostalgia. But I think that, in a broader sense, humans sometimes need to relearn basic lessons from our past.

Eryngium yuccifolium

Within this context, the irony of our “new” native plants program has not escaped me this season. Unlike the fast world of fashion, the native plant movement has been gaining momentum for the past couple of decades. Native plant nurseries struggled to gain traction in the 1990’s, and then, in the early 2000’s, the idea of native plants became more mainstream as the perennial plant market was embraced by the horticulture industry. Natives continued to pick up steam into the 2010’s, but it wasn’t until the pandemic-driven gardening boom in the early 2020’s that the sustainable gardening trend truly exploded.

Asclepias syriaca

As we have with many of the trends borne out of the pandemic, some of us in the green industry wonder how long increased demand for natives will persist; to be honest, I don’t think anyone knows the answer to this. But it’s clear that the movement behind native plants is based on more than just a passing fad. The editors of the latest Garden Trends Report tell us that “Purpose-Driven Gardening” is on the rise for 2026. (You can find the full report here: https://gardenmediagroup.com/client-news/garden-media-groups-2026-garden-trends-report-launches/.) In other words, it’s not just about what we plant, but why we plant it. We’re seeing that our younger generations are more likely to support brands and companies whose values and actions align with their own, and this includes, in large part, sustainable and ethical practices. Gen Z in particular is more likely to view gardening, not only as a lifestyle choice, but as a way to combat climate change by planting species that support pollinator populations and local ecosystems.

We can’t have a conversation about native plants without recognizing some of our respected colleagues in the industry, like Johnson’s Nursery, Pizzo Native Plant Nursery, Agrecol Native Nursery, and Prairie Nursery, who have been cultivating a passion for native plants decades before they were trending. Nurseries like these are deeply rooted in their commitment to preserving the genetic diversity of our ecosystems. At Mariani Plants, we felt it was time to embrace the native plant movement and add a dedicated line of native perennials into production this year.

Echinacea pallida

Vernonia fasciculata

Many people have asked us how the native plant program is going, and to answer that I’ll say that growing natives has been a learning process, and one that we’re still fine-tuning. This is, in large part, because many natives simply don’t look good in a container for long. Many of our native plants grow very tall, which makes them difficult to manage in a container range, and they’re often unattractive after flowering. Their shelf-life is very short for growers, and even shorter for retailers. Anticipating demand for individual species can be difficult since garden centers aren’t bringing in natives on a consistent basis. Consumers want native plants, in theory. But, when faced with the choice between a tall, leggy, native perennial and its cultivar counterpart that has been bred for compact growth and improved bud count, the truth is that the latter often wins.

So, where do we go from here? I think the first step is education. We all know how quickly an internet search can send us down a rabbit hole, and much of the information that reaches our customers is confusing and misleading when it comes to native plants. Instead, growers, landscape contractors, and independent garden centers should work together to teach consumers about expectations when it comes to native plants and how to choose the right plant for the right location. We need to move away from the idea of an “all-or-nothing” approach and promote the value of balance when it comes to integrating natives, nativars, cultivars, and non-natives in the landscape.     

Baptisia alba

We can also learn a lot from each other. As growers, we need to understand the challenges that retailers face when caring for and marketing the natives on their shelves. Consumers want native plants, and we just need to find the best way to meet their demand. Whether that’s through reimagined packaging, using different container sizes that better suit customers’ needs, or updating the timing of plant availability, we can find solutions that continue to drive this movement forward.