Northwest Ohio Native Plants

Native plants are becoming a popular addition to many home gardens. One reason for this is that native plants are adapted to local climate and soil conditions and tend to grow better without the added fertilizers or additional watering that other plants might need. Native plants are also better at attracting birds and butterflies.

Two specific geographic areas historically figure prominently in native plants: the Black Swamp and Oak Openings. The maps below show these areas.

Recently, Toledo area non-profit organizations, academics, and growers got together to form a group called the Native Plant Working Group. The purpose of the Native Plant Working Group is to facilitate partnerships between growers and stakeholders in order to conserve and promote native plants to producers and consumers.

Click this link to view is a table listing recommended native plants you might consider adding to your garden (note: this document is wide, so be sure to set your page orientation to "landscape" when printing it). The table includes pictures of most of the plants and it indicates the growing conditions each plants favors; please make sure to choose plants that are appropriate for your area.

Click here to download a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet of the same information (pictures not included).