INFORMATION FOR NATIVE LANDSCAPES

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Wild Ones National-National Headquarters

Native Plant Sources - Need to know where to purchase native plants? Here is a comprehensive list of nurseries that sell natives plus a list of organizations that sell natives at annual plant sales. At the end of the list are names of companies that landscape with native plants. Be sure to check the member links on the home page as well.

Doug Tallamy's 20 Top Rated Plants for Supporting Biodiversity and Lepidoptera (See the Books & Publications section below for information on "Bringing Nature Home", Doug Tallamy's book that we highly recommend.)

Insect Usage of Trees and Shrubs- If you want to attract birds to your yard, you need to plant species that attract the most insects as these insects produce the larva that are essential for feeding baby birds and providing protein in birds of all ages. Here is Doug Tallamy's latest list of how many insect species utilize and/or eat the leaves of native trees and shrubs as well as selected non-native species. The plant genera are listed from the most insect usage to the least.

Benefits of Composting - The benefits of fixing "urban soils" or, in other words, sub-soil that is left after the builder has taken the topsoil away and sold it to someone else.

10 Reasons to Care about Biodiversity

Backyard Cleanup

Invasive Species

Garlic Mustard - What you need to know about this invasive species and how to remove it.

Honeysuckle Removal- A list of 32 ways to remove invasive amur honeysuckle and 10 REASONS why you should.

Replacement Plants: What You Should do after Honeysuckle Removal

Control and Removal of Other Invasives- Courtesy of the Marianist Environmental Education Center in Dayton, Ohio. For more information, visit: www.udayton.edu/~meec/index.htm .

More on Invasive Species- From the US Dept. of Agriculture. A gateway to Federal and State invasive species activities and programs.

The Lloyd Library - Click on the green Online Catalog link under the row of pictures.Once you are in the catalog, please make sure the drop-down field for Limit All Future Searches is set to Lloyd Library. Using the Any Field boxes towards the top of the catalog page, try keywords like “ohio”, as well as city names such as “Cincinnati” with “wild*”, “flower*”, “tree*”, and “plant*”. Wildflower and Ohio Plant bibliography.

Enature.com - Visit here for a comprehensive native plant guide complete with pictures, common and Latin names, description and site preferences. (provided by National Wildlife Federation/Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center).

Native Ground Covers - View a list of common, native ground covers for your yard.

Ohio Floristic Qualitly Assessment Index - The Ohio Floristic Quality Assessment Index, is a scientific methodology for evaluating the overall naturalness/rarity of a community type, and to achieve this, ranks each plant species with a number.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation - Service links to Federal and State Noxious Weed lists AND local groups working in these areas.

Ohio Department of Natural Resources - information about invasive species in Ohio. Read about how these plants are creating havoc in our forests.

Books and Publications:

Go Native!Gardening with Native Plants and Wildflowers in the Lower Midwest. Carolyn Harstad.  1999, Indiana University. Basic Information about native plants in the lower midwest. Excellent place to start.
Eastern Forests:Peterson Field Guide Series. John C. Kricher/Gordon Morrison
Good place to learn about the importance of native plant communities. Covers various habitats. Helpful when planning your landscaping.
Woody Plants of Ohio. Braun,Lucy E. The Ohio State University Press. 1961.

 The Monocotyledoneae. Braun, Lucy H. The Ohio State University Press. 1967.
Manual of Woody Plants: Their Indenficiation, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses. Dirr,
Michael A. This or any book by Dirr contains excellent information, includes natives and non-native species.