Native Plants Niagara

04/23/2026

What's blooming at Native Plants Niagara?
April 22, 2026

04/23/2026

03/26/2026

If you're a City of Welland resident, you'll want to take advantage of this program to add another native tree to your property. Online registration opens March 30th. More info:

https://www.welland.ca/Events/eventsinfo/treeGiveaway.asp

EARTH DAY | Want to make greener? 🌳 Our annual tree giveaway is back!

Welland residents can register for a FREE tree sapling. Choose from six species, with pickup dates at the Farmers Market:
🌿 April 12: red maple, white pine, tulip tree
🌳 April 19: sugar maple, white spruce, red bud

Registration opens:
📅 March 31 online 👉 https://www.welland.ca/Events/eventsinfo/treeGiveaway.asp
📅 April 1 in person at the Welland Community Centre.

🌱 Help grow Welland’s tree canopy—one tree at a time!

03/03/2026

Pictures from NPN today

03/03/2026

Common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) is a biennial Ontario native plant, and a host plant for the specialized Evening Primrose Moth (Schinia florida).

02/14/2026

Join the Great Backyard Bird Count this weekend! Interested in welcoming more birds to your yard during the winter months? Create a habitat with native plants. Native trees and shrubs provide shelter and are a food source (berries & seeds), and when you leave your seed heads on your plants, birds have a natural bird feeder 💕 Now that's love.

02/14/2026

Interested in making your own seed envelopes? Here is a step-by-step video on creating small (1.5x2.75") seed envelopes to share native plant seeds.

02/12/2026

What's in a seed envelope? Lots of teeny seeds!

Seeds come in all shapes and sizes. This picture is of Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain) seeds. Since they're so small, even a small scoop equates to lots of seeds.

02/12/2026

Let's chat about your seed envelope.

The seeds are small. Don't open the envelope until you're ready to plant. To open, tap the envelope so the seeds settle to the bottom and cut off the top (or since the envelopes are not sealed, you are welcome to unfold the tucked in section and pour out the seeds from the pocket). Again, it's hard to keep track of a bunch of loose seeds (ask me how I know haha). Keep them in the envelope until you're ready.

Your seed envelope has a lot of important information on it.

Scientific name.
Common name. Sometimes plants have different common names, so it is best to go by the scientific name when learning about the species.
Site light conditions. These are the light requirements your seedlings/plants will need for optimal growth when planted in your habitat/garden.
Site moisture category. This is the soil moisture your seedlings/plants will need for optimal growth. It is sometimes a range. Your seedlings will need to be watered for the first year, but they should develop deep root systems, saving on watering in future years.
Mature plant height & width. This information is important when planning your habitat/garden. For optimal growth, plants need space. Ideally, plant 3-5 of the same species as a group for the pollinators.
Bloom time: Month(s) when plant flowers.
Winter sowing date (outside). Some seeds need stratification (cold/moist conditions) for germination. This is a suggested date to finish your winter sowing. Miss this date? No problem! You can mimic this process in the refrigerator.
Seed planting depth. When sowing your seeds, some seeds need light to germinate (leave seeds on the surface) while others need to be buried (varying from just below the surface to 1/2 inch depth). Plant accordingly.
Pre-treatment for optimal seed germination. Some seeds need stratification, some need scarification (outer shell of seed scratched), some need both. We're trying to mimic the different processes the seeds would go through in nature for the best germination rates.

*Seed envelope info is from the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library. Not only are they a trusted source for seeds (and seedlings at local giveaways), they share science-based information daily. Highly recommend a follow!

02/11/2026

Head over to Seedy Saturday hosted by the Grimsby Public Library this weekend. The event runs from 11 am - 3 pm. Saturday, February 14th, 2026. 18 Carnegie Lane, Grimsby.

The West Lincoln Green Team will be sharing lots of great information including tips on sheet mulching/lasagna gardening method, native gardening, and will have a few Verbena hastata seeds from Native Plants Niagara to share.