Log in links for this page

Coastal Landscaping in Massachusetts - Where to Purchase Native Plants

Find landscaping options for controlling coastal erosion and preventing storm damage—provided by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) StormSmart Coasts Program.

Visit these sources of information on Massachusetts nurseries that carry the types of vegetation listed in this website (and if you cannot find a plant you are interested in, contact your local garden center or other outlet to help encourage future availability):

  • Grow Native Massachusetts - This community-based organization maintains a Nurseries & Sources of Native Plants page and provides valuable information on books, videos, workshops, gatherings, and other resources about landscaping with native plants in Massachusetts. Look for their Annual Native Plant Sale in the spring.
  • Native Plant Trust - This comprehensive website offers information on native plants, invasive species, conservation and research, plant courses, events, and other links. Their native plant nurseries at two Massachusetts locations, Garden in the Woods and Nasami Farm, provide a host of native perennials, trees, and shrubs. The Native Plant Trust (formerly New England Wild Flower Society) also provides more than 275 varieties of seeds and spores for sale, including a wide selection of wildflowers and native woody plants.
  • Native Plant Initiative - This Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) site provides Sources for Native Plants & Seeds (PDF, 134 KB), a list of online sources, specialty nurseries, retail nurseries, and special native plant sales. The site also has other helpful resources, such as native garden design examples, a List of Resources About Native Plants (PDF, 88 KB), and Recommended Presentations on landscaping with native plants (PDF, 104 KB).
  • Blue Stem Natives - This women-owned nursery and garden center in Norwell, Massachusetts, carries all native plants with a focus on increasing accessibility and knowledge of native plants in New England. Blue Stem Natives uses environmentally mindful growing practices, such as growing plants from seed to encourage genetic diversity (no cultivars), purchasing pots made from recycled plastic and reusing pots, and eliminating peat from the growing medium. All plants are available for in-person purchasing or online purchasing with in-person pick up. The website also provides helpful plant lists (such as for shorelines, roadsides, and edible species), videos, a blog, and landscape design help.
  • Tree Talk Natives - This native plant nursery in Rochester, Massachusetts, offers more than 120 varieties of wildflowers, grasses/sedges, vines, shrubs, and trees with high pollinator and wildlife values. Plants are primarily native to New England and New York (with some from a slightly more southern range), and include true natives and some cultivars. The nursery uses pesticide-free growing practices, pots made of recycled materials, and other sustainable approaches. See their blog posts to learn about many of their plants, including characteristics and growing requirements.
  • American Beauties Native Plants (in collaboration with the National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program) - The American Beauties website provides information on where to purchase native plants in your area, as well as a list of native plants species, descriptions, and landscape plans for four theme gardens (bird garden, butterfly garden, dry sun, and moist sun) that are beautiful and good for wildlife.
  • Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The Wildflower Center, which provides a plant database and information on plant conservation, ecological design, landscape restoration, and more, offers a National Suppliers Directory page with a list of Massachusetts nurseries and professional environmental consultants that supply native plants and materials.
  • National Nursery and Seed Directory - The directory provides a search option for finding businesses that support using native plant materials in the United States and Canada. You can search the directory by name, state, product, or business type.
  • Arbor Day Foundation - This website, provided by the nonprofit organization that is dedicated to planting trees, offers a Tree Nursery where you can order nearly 200 species of trees (please note that these are not all native to the Massachusetts coast—see Coastal Landscaping in Massachusetts - Plant List for recommended species). The site also includes tree identification guides, descriptions and growth requirements of trees, care and maintenance guides, and information on the benefits of planting trees.

Help Us Improve Mass.gov  with your feedback

Please do not include personal or contact information.
Feedback