SE Native Plants and Landscaping Resources

The Native Plant and Wildflower Group is devoted to spreading the word about the many important reasons to use native plants in your landscape. There are many valuable resources in our area – non-profit organizations, foundations devoted to preserving the natural environment, the TVA, UT Extension, and native plant nurseries. We also have a wealth of experts in our area and we have only just begun to tap those resources.

The following online resources are a good starting point for getting acquainted with using native plants in your landscape, the first step to attracting wildlife to your yard. The publications listed are free to download. We have also provided a list of native plant sales that take place in Southeastern Tennessee. Feel free to email us if you know of other helpful resources.

Presentations

Leon & Pat Bates: Gardening with Native Plants (this is a large file and will take some time to download)

Dirty Dozen Invasive Plants and their Native Alternatives

Landscaping with Native Plants (Trees, Shrubs, Plants)

Publications by Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council (TNEPPC):

Landscaping with Native Plants Promotes Biodiversity

Landscaping with Native Plants – Tennessee

Landscaping with Native Plants – East Tennessee

Publications by UT Extension:

Identifying Common Tennessee Trees: Summer/Winter Tree Identification

Native Trees for Tennessee

Butterflies in Your Backyard

Improving your Backyard Wildlife

Publications by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service:

Native Plants for Your Backyard

Landscaping for Wildlife with Native Plants

Managing Backyards and Other Urban Habitats for Birds (North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service)

Attracting Butterflies: Tipsheet (National Wildlife Federation)

Central Tennessee Butterfly Garden Guide (North American Butterfly Association)

Backyard Habitat: Ten Birds That Help Control Garden Pests (National Wildlife Federation)

Invasive Plants

Tennessee’s Native Plant Alternatives to Exotic Invasives (TNEPPC Publication)

A Homeowner’s Guide to Preventing the Introduction and Spread of Invasive Plants in Georgia – You can Make a Difference in Your Backyard (Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health publication)

Weeds Gone Wild – Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas – a web-based project of the Plant Conservation Alliance’s Alien Plant Working Group, that provides information for the general public, land managers, researchers, and others on the serious threat and impacts of invasive alien (exotic, non-native) plants to the native flora, fauna, and natural ecosystems of the United States.

UT Extension Publications:

Invasive Weeds of the Appalachian Region