Center for Native Plants

06/14/2026

To Celebrate Father’s Day, we are giving away one (1) 5gal paper birch (Betula papyrifera) value $58! To enter, simply like this post and tag your dad (or your friend! or your friend's dad!) We will message the lucky winner on June 22nd. Winner must pick up their tree from the Nursery in Whitefish by July 6th.

06/11/2026

Aspen Fleabane (Erigeron speciosus) is blooming now! Aspen Fleabane is easy to grow because it is tolerant of poor soils and competition from other plants. It sets copious blossoms making it a favorite of many species of bee and earning its name ‘speciosus,’ meaning ‘pretty.’

06/10/2026

Pollinator Week approaches! June 22nd - 27th is Pollinator Week. Get 20% off all bee houses and pollinator pack re-wilding kits. Free for Kids: build your own bee house kits. Specials available in-store only.

06/06/2026

June is aphid season. The curled leaves and sticky honeydew that indicate the presence of aphids can look very alarming but here at CNP we advocate for minimal intervention when managing aphids. Most aphid species have a singular host plant. Which means that the aphids on your dogwood won’t spread to your other plants. This also means that our native plants are adapted to survive the presence of aphids. Furthermore, ladybugs and other important predatory insects feed on aphids. Insecticides will harm those predator insects and any pollinators that feed on concurrently blooming plants. To prevent excessive aphid populations on your property, plant diversely and avoid large stands of the same species. Avoid over fertilizing. During Aphid season, when you begin to see aphid nymphs, you can spray your plants down with water.
Just remember: growing native plants means participating in a living ecosystem. That system includes creepy- crawlies along with butterflies and birds and humans.

06/03/2026

Sticky Geranium (Geranium viscosissimum) is blooming now at the nursery!
Sticky Geranium is a robust perennial that is valued for its long bloom time and its lush foliage that turns red in the fall. Like many other plants with sticky leaves, sticky geranium is protocarnivorous. When insects become trapped on the leaf surface the plant will dissolve the protein for its nitrogen. This adaption allows geraniums to survive in poor soils. She is a perfect addition to any perennial bed or pollinator garden.

05/29/2026

Alumroot (Heuchera cylindrica) is blooming at the nursery and the bees love it!
Alumroot gets its name from the high concentration of tannins in its roots, making it suitable as an alum substitute. Alum has many uses including as a mordant for fixing dyes. Alumroot is compact and tolerant of poor soils making it an excellent choice for rock gardens and edges.

05/27/2026

Antelope Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) is a long-lived shrub (some specimens have been documented to be over 100 years old!). It is very drought resistant due to its long taproots and leaves that are adapted to minimize water loss. Plant it with sage and rabbitbrush to mimic the look of the high desert!

05/22/2026

We will be open Memorial Day, Monday May 25th!

05/20/2026

Yellow Columbine (Aquilegia flavescens) is blooming now!
Both the common name and the scientific name of this plant refer to birds. Columbine comes from the Latin ‘columba’ meaning dove because the down-turned blossom looks like a group of five doves about to take flight. Aquilegia comes from the the Latin ‘aquilae’ meaning eagle because the spurred shape of the petals resembles the talons of eagles.
Plant her in a damp area of your garden that gets partial sun to attract butterflies and hummingbirds!

12/15/2025