Local native plants aren’t as easy to find as you’d think they would be. Most native plant nurseries are small operations, and are located some distance from Ottawa. All have different opening times, plant availability, and some have minimum purchase amounts. You’ll need to plan ahead, so here’s what you need to know.
Annual events
Friends of the Farm Sale: annual sale held in early May, Neatby Building parking lot, Experimental Farm
This annual sale is run by the Friends of the Experimental Farm. It features a variety of vendors of non-native and native plants.
Fletcher Wildlife Garden Plant Sale, May and early June
Inexpensive local native plant seedlings grown by the Friends of Fletcher Wildlife Garden. Plants are started early indoors, so they’re a good size.
You can find a list of plants that will be available on the Fletcher Wildlife Garden web site. Order by email and pick up plants at Fletcher Wildlife Garden, which is located near the Experimental Farm.
Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library, local events
Seedlings available from Ottawa area gardeners. Grown from local native plant seeds that were distributed by the Library during the previous fall and winter. You can pick up plants from individual gardeners via Facebook, or at plant swap/give-away events.
Nearby nurseries
A Cultivated Art, Vanier
Sells an expanding selection of native plant species. Plants are offered in several sizes and prices. Order online. Pick up in Vanier. Check the website for details.
The owner is a knowledgeable former Algonquin College instructor who generously shares her expertise about native plants in The Plant Library. Also designs gardens.
Echo Native Plants, Almonte
A new native plant nursery near Ottawa that opened in 2025.
Ottawa Valley Native Plants (formerly Beaux Arbor’s Native Plants), Eganville and Ottawa pick up
Great selection of local native plants, out-of-range natives, and some interesting non-native plants. Plants are mature, so they’ll bloom in their first year. The owner, Trish Murphy, is very knowledgeable and helpful. I also enjoy her informative blog.
Contact to arrange a nursery visit. Check the Events page to find out when the nursery will be attending local markets, and the Blog for when pre-ordered plants will be brought to Ottawa.
Connaught Nursery (on Facebook), near Cobden
A great source for local native woodland plants and other species. Beginning in late winter/early spring, you’ll find their plant availability list on Facebook. Order by email for pick up at the nursery starting in May.
The owner, Grant Dobson, has impressive experience and knowledge of native plants, ecology, and wildlife, with a special interest in pollinators. He documents the natural wonders of his rural property with incredible photographs and educational descriptions on The View From Connaught Pond Facebook page. He was also a long-time volunteer at Shaw Woods, the only remnant of old-growth forest that remains in the area.
Naturaide, Winchester
Sells native plants at some local events, or you can arrange for delivery in Ottawa. Will grow plants on request. Also designs and installs gardens.
Solidago Farm, Wakefield, QC and Ottawa farmers’ markets
Good-sized plants. See their website for details.
Nursery for the Earth, Bristol QC
Sells plants that are considered native to within 100 km of the nursery in Bristol, Quebec, as well as plants that are native to eastern North America and naturalized here. Offers a growing collections of native species. See website for details.
Worth a road trip
Natural Themes Farms, near Frankford
Open Thursday to Saturday afternoons, or by appointment. The widest selection of native plants I’ve seen in one place, including woodland plants, and hard to find trees and shrubs. First year plants, as well as more mature ones are available, along with well-priced pollinator packs.
Dropseed Nursery, Picton
Open Fridays and weekends. This new nursery opened in 2024. Visit website for details.
Other nurseries that offer native plants
Ferguson Tree Nursery, Kemptville
A great place to order quantities of native shrubs and trees. Now sells native perennials as well. Plants are grown from local native seed.
This nursery doesn’t normally sell retail, so ‘bulk’ orders of plants are required. Orders are open in the fall and winter, and can be picked up at the nursery in May. There should also be a designated pick-up time and place in Ottawa.
They now open a temporary retail store for several weekends in the spring and fall so you can buy plants outside of the regular bulk orders. Sign up for their newsletter for retail store notifications.
Ritchies Feed and Seed, Windmill Lane location
This location now carries locally native species, as well as out-of-range natives and cultivars.
Trinkets and Thyme, Embrun
This nursery specializes in native plants and food plants. While they grow some plants themselves, they also bring in a wide variety of perennials, native trees and shrubs of different sizes. You can order on their website for pick-up at the nursery, or visit to browse there in person.
Ontario native plant nurseries that ship
Ontario Native Plants, online only, ships plants
In southwestern Ontario, but ships right to your door. Tree and shrub pre-orders begin in March to be shipped in April. Perennials will be available around beginning of April to be shipped in mid-May.
You can keep up with activity at the nursery on their Facebook page. It also includes an interesting video showing how they pack plants for shipping. I ordered from them in 2019 and I was very happy with the plants and secure packaging.
Native Plants in Claremont, near Pickering, ships plants
Now shipping plants within Ontario. You can choose from a box of 6 or 18 plants.
We stopped in at this nursery on our way home from Toronto. You can also buy their plants at the Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto. I was happy with the online store selection and packaging when I ordered in 2020.
Be wary of pollinator plants at big box stores
You may find packs of plants at big box stores from the Canadian Wildlife Federation. As well, Loblaws/Superstores now carry World Wildlife Fund Canada ‘In the Zone’ native plants. They’re Ontario-grown by reputable native plant nurseries.
However, there have been numerous news stories about so-called pollinator plants at big box stores actually containing harmful pesticides. Pesticides are commonly applied in the nursery trade to combat pests like aphids that can spread quickly greenhouse growing conditions. Even if they’re sprayed early in the plant’s life at a greenhouse, the pesticide remains in the plant tissue after it’s been transported to a store. While the store may not be spraying, the source nursery may have.
In 2017, Friends of the Earth tested plants from Ottawa Rona, Canadian Tire, and Home Depot stores and found banned pesticides. See this CBC article, Banned pesticides found on flowers in Ottawa stores, environment group says, for details. Don’t risk harming or killing the pollinators that you’re trying to help by buying plants that may be contaminated. A recent survey of major big box chains shows that they have made progress: Good news for Canadian bees, other pollinators and gardeners — major garden centres shut down use of neonic pesticides. Plants were not tested this time.
Don’t dig up wild plants
Don’t poach native plants from wild spaces. Indiscriminate digging of native plants has decimated some natural populations. Habitat destruction is a big enough problem without people digging up plants for remaining intact habitats.
Buy seed-grown native plants from reputable nurseries to ensure that you aren’t buying plants dug from the wild.
If you collect seeds in the wild, collect only a few. If you forage, be sure to leave lots of berries/leaves/mushrooms for the wildlife that depend on it.
The Corner Pollinator Garden and Wildlife Habitat 