North Coast California Native Plant Society
Creating a Native Plant Garden
Welcome, gardeners, to the rewarding realm of native plant gardening.
By bringing local, native plants into your yard, you are extending the habitat available to native wildlife, mostly small, but some large too, getting to know intimately the natural world of our coast and mountains and appreciating its beauty.
photo: Kate Rowe
Native Plant Consultation Service
Are you wondering which plants in your yard are native? Are you unsure if that vine in the corner is an invasive exotic? Would you like to know some native species that would grow well in your yard?
The North Coast Chapter of CNPS offers a free Native Plant Consultation Service to answer questions and to share our experiences gardening with natives.
Contact us at , to arrange a visit by one of our knowledgeable volunteer consultants.
Helpful Resources
CNPS Planting Guide In a template of landscape design ideas created by state CNPS, our chapter members made a list of “beginner” native plants for urban gardens in the Humboldt Bay area.
Northwest California natives tested in the Arcata-Eureka area A list compiled by chapter members of trees, shrubs, herbs, and ground covers. We call it “Pete’s plant list,” although other members contributed.
Creating a Native Plant Garden. Our native plant consultants’ summary of how to get started, including links of interest to experienced gardeners as well.
Restoring Nature, One Garden at a Time The real reason to plant native plants. A review of our November 2019 evening program, a video of a lecture by Dr. Douglas Tallamy, professor of entomology at the University of Delaware.
Why Plant with Natives: Caterpillars A plant list by the number of caterpillar species hosted.
Books Regarding Gardening with Native Plants. A three-page, annotated list compiled by chapter members
Common butterflies of Humboldt Bay and their host plants
Jefferson Community Center pollinator garden plant list A 2-page list by flowering season with scientific and common names of each plant as well as if the plant is a nectar or pollen source and what it attracts.
Native Plants for Local Birds A 2-page list of plants compiled from the Audubon database including scientific and common names of the plant, type of plant, birds the plant may attract, and what the plant provides.
