You’ve made the effort to add native plants to your landscape, increasing biodiversity and enhancing habitat. Well done! You deserve some recognition, and we can provide the means to show off your native garden as an example for others. Step one is to get your Grow Indiana Natives native garden certification.
What Does It Take to Become Certified?
Simply provide your contact information, a list of the native plants you’re growing, and up to three photos of your native plant garden.
If you qualify for native garden certification, you will receive a certificate and be eligible to purchase the Grow Indiana Natives sign.
Apply for Native Garden Certification
Grow Indiana Natives Sign
Declare your support for Indiana native plants! Post this colorful sign to tell the world you’re growing Indiana natives.
The 9 x 12 inch metal sign is available only to Certified Native Gardens and Grow Indiana Natives businesses. It comes with pre-drilled holes for mounting on a post or fence.
The purpose of the sign is to draw attention to your native plants. Do not place it near non-native plants.
FAQs
Can I have non-native plants in my garden and still qualify?
Yes. BUT if there are invasive non-native plants in your garden, we encourage you to get rid of them to prevent their spread.
How do I know whether a plant is native, non-native, or invasive?
There are many resources to help determine whether a species is native, non-native, or invasive in Indiana. Common Natives in Horticulture is a list of many of the Indiana natives that are for sale at nurseries and retailers. The USDA PLANTS database is a useful resource to look up the native range of plant species. Finally, the list of invasive plants in Indiana may be found here. Invasive plants that may commonly be found in Indiana landscaping include Norway maple, Callery pear (Bradford pear and all other cultivars of flowering pear), burning bush, Japanese barberry, privet, Chinese maiden grass, purple wintercreeper, periwinkle, and English ivy.
Why should I get rid of invasive plants in my landscaping?
The great majority of invasive plants causing economic and environmental damage in Indiana are escapes from landscaping. Although it may seem that your burning bush is not causing a problem, the reality is that birds eat the berries of burning bush and deposit them in the nearest forest. Once there, they gradually take over the forest, displacing other native plants and reducing the diversity of the site. Help prevent further spread of invasive plants in Indiana by removing invasive plants from your landscaping.
Are “nativars” considered native species?
“Nativars” are cultivars of native species. Just as we consider cultivars of invasive species to have the same properties as the parent species, we consider nativars to be native as well. However, we note that some nativars have been shown not to provide the same level resources as the native plant (see this National Wildlife Federation article for discussion). We also note that when the planting goal is to restore a natural area, the use of local genotype materials is appropriate.