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 provides a basic list of native plants. 

Lists with more details are offered by: 

The Massachusetts Pollinator Network Plants for Pollinators, and

The Xerces Society's Pollinator Plants: Northeast Region.

The Citizens for Lexington Conservation native plants recommendation lists have helpful suggestions for plants based on our 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. Robert Gegear's List to Support At-Risk Pollinators, from UMass Dartmouth

Or 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).