What to Plant

There are many great resources to help you decide what to plant. You can choose from one or more of these approaches: 

Native Plant Lists for Home Gardeners

Mass Audubon’s Plant a Native Pollinator Garden provides a basic list of native plants. 

Lists with more details are offered by: 

The Massachusetts Pollinator Network Create and Manage Pollinator Habitat, 

The Xerces Society's Pollinator Plants: Northeast Region, and 

The Ecological Landscaping Alliance's North American Prairie Species of New England.

The Citizens for Lexington Conservation native plants recommendation lists have helpful suggestions for plants based on your local environment.

Plant selection databases

Another approach is to use a plant database designed for gardeners to find suitable plants. Some great ones are: 

• the Garden Plant Finder of the Native Plant Trust 

• the Native Plant Finder of the National Wildlife Foundation, which is based on Doug Tallamy’s research 

• the Native Plants Database of the National Audubon Society 

• Dr. Bob Gegear's List to Support At-Risk Pollinators, from UMass

Seek expert help

Either by acquiring a predetermined selection designed for a specific purpose (for example, the plant collections offered by the Native Plant Trust at Garden in the Woods) or by hiring a landscape designer who is knowledgeable about native plants (see our list of local landscape designers with native plant expertise).