ASHS 2024 Conference

Native plants are becoming increasingly popular choices for low-input ornamental landscapes in residential and commercial applications. Many nurseries and landscape professionals are currently growing or offering at least some native plants in response to this increasing demand. However, supplies are still limited and there are specific best management practices associated with growing, marketing, and maintaining native plants that need further development. In response to this need from the green industry, replicable, applied programming focused on supporting growers who are currently producing or have an interest in producing native plants was developed. To first prioritize the needs of the industry, a state-wide native plant needs assessment survey was developed and disseminated to nursery and landscape professionals. The survey received 60 responses and indicated that native alternatives to invasive species, deer resistant native plants, and new cultivars of native plants were among the top priorities, in addition to IPM practices, stress tolerance, and propagation protocols. Based on this direction from stakeholders, extension programming was developed to meet these needs and support the green industry in their production and marketing of native plants. Educational programs focused on commercial native plant production and management were developed and delivered both in-person and virtually through webinars, while twilight meetings, including sessions at established native plant nurseries, facilitated grower-to-grower learning and interaction. Program evaluation surveys indicated strong metrics for knowledge gain, incorporating more native plants in their operations, reducing inputs, and achieving better pest control measures. Field trials comparing cultivars of deer-resistant native ornamental grasses offered growers and landscapers a chance to observe how these plants performed throughout three growing seasons, while offering a low-input alternative to non-native species in the landscape. Propagation trials were conducted to begin optimizing protocols for both vegetative cuttings and seed propagation of locally collected native ornamental plants, with success rates documented for each species using standard propagation protocols. A video was also created and shared with stakeholders showcasing a virtual tour of a commercial golf resort that has successfully incorporated native plants into their landscape, thus serving as an example for how to achieve an ornamental landscape aesthetic using native species. While native plant species may vary among ecoregions, this comprehensive approach is replicable and has been met with a high degree of satisfaction from commercial horticulture professionals.