The NANPS Seed Exchange is open to all members across the continent and relies on your participation. If you are not yet a member, you may join online now or include your membership form with your seed request.
The NANPS seed exchange started in 1988 and has been running continuously ever since. There are over 10,000 species of vascular plants native to temperate North America. Our seed exchange offers you the chance to increase the population of a few of these. Please help North American flora to flourish by growing locally native plants in your own garden and offering some of their seed to our Exchange.
Seeds are most often contributed from NANPS members’ gardens but donations of seed ethically collected (less than 10% from a healthy population of relatively common species; otherwise do not collect!) from wild sources is also welcome. Once seed is sent to us we endeavour to store it appropriately (e.g. moist medium for hydrophilic seed, refrigeration at the appropriate time). We are only able to do this after the seed is mailed to us.
If you are donating seeds, please remember to:
Genetic provenance is an important consideration when selecting seeds from the Seed Exchange and whatever information you are able to provide about the origin of your seed is appreciated.
The purpose of the exchange is to make native plant seed of known provenance available to members at nominal cost. It is not our intention to generate revenue from the seed exchange, but simply to cover the costs of packaging and mailing. In order to export seed to the United States, we are required to obtain a phytosanitary certificate, which adds an additional cost for our American members. We cannot ship seeds of shrubs, trees, vines and some proscribed grass species to the U.S.
We recommend that members order seed that originates from their bioregion (the general rule of thumb is within a 200-kilometre range, or 125 miles). The same species grown at different locations will be listed separately, so that members can select the seed source closest to where they live.
The list of available seed is mailed to members with theedition of our quarterly newsletter. the Blazing Star. Members are asked to send us their seed requests from theedition by the second week of January for mailing by the end of the month. Seed requests for the second round, which will be online, are due before March 31st for response by mid April. The seed exchange resumes again in the fall.
Donated native plant seed with provenance noted should be sent to:
Inquiries about how the seed exchange works, or how to unlock the dormancy mechanism for seed offered, can be made to: seeds@nanps.org
Updated Feb. 2, 2017
The following native species are available to members through the NANPS Seed Exchange. Members can order seeds without having donated to the Seed Exchange. See ordering instructions and key to donors following this list.
NANPS tries its best to list seeds as received. NANPS also uses discretion when receiving seeds of threatened species.
Please note that while all seeds donated are native to North America, they may not be local to the donor. Use your own discretion when ordering seeds and choose local stock if available.
Germination requirements are here.
Legend | |
---|---|
W | Seeds are wild collected |
~ | Older familiar Latin name used |
L | Limited quantities |
Legend | Species | Common Name | Donor | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
Grasses and Sedges | ||||
L | Andropogon gerardii | Big bluestem | Hen | Greater Toronto Area |
Bouteloua curtipendula | Side-oats grama | Bri | Guelph | |
Bouteloua curtipendula | Side-oats grama | McK | Caledon | |
Elymus hystrix | Bottlebrush grass | Den | Greater Toronto Area | |
Panicum virgatum | switchgrass, panic grass | Van | Halton | |
Schizachyrium scoparium | little bluestem | Den | Greater Toronto Area | |
Sorghastrum nutans | Indian grass | Hen | Greater Toronto Area | |
Perennial Flowers | ||||
Aralia nudicaulis | wild sarsaparilla | Hod | Greater Toronto Area | |
Acer negundo | box elder/Manitoba maple | Hod | Greater Toronto Area | |
Actaea racemosa | black cohosh | Har | Elmvale | |
Actaea rubra | red baneberry | Bri | Guelph | |
Ageratina altissima | white snakeroot | Den | Greater Toronto Area | |
Ageratina altissima | white snakeroot | Har | Elmvale | |
Amsonia ciliata | fringed bluestar | Har | Elmvale | |
Anaphalis margaritacea | pearly everlasting | Hen | Greater Toronto Area | |
Anemone canadensis | Canada anemone | McK | Caledon | |
Aquilegia canadensis | wild columbine | Ima | Soyer's Lake, Haliburton | |
Aralia racemosa | spikenard | Den | Greater Toronto Area | |
Aralia racemosa | spikenard | McK | Caledon | |
Asclepias incarnata | swamp milkweed | Van | Cambridge | |
Asclepias incarnata | swamp milkweed | Har | Elmvale | |
Asclepias syriaca | common milkweed | Van | Oakville | |
Asclepias syriaca | common milkweed | Can | Greater Toronto Area | |
L | Asclepias tuberosa | butterfly milkweed | Har | Elmvale |
Asclepias tuberosa | butterfly milkweed | Hen | Greater Toronto Area | |
Asclepias verticillata | whorled milkweed | Van | Cambridge | |
~ | Aster laevis | smooth aster | Mea | Greater Toronto Area |
~ | Aster novae-angliae | New England aster | Mea | Greater Toronto Area |
Baptisia australis | false indigo | Bri | Guelph | |
Baptisia australis | false indigo | McK | Caledon | |
Callirhoe involucrata | poppy mallow | Mea | Greater Toronto Area | |
Calycanthus floridus | Carolina allspice | Bri | Guelph | |
Campsis radicans | trumpet vine | Hod | Greater Toronto Area | |
Catalpa speciosa | northern catalpa | Hod | Greater Toronto Area | |
Celastrus scandens | American bittersweet | Hod | Greater Toronto Area | |
Celtis tenuifolia | dwarf hackberry | Bri | Guelph | |
Cephalanthus occidentalis | buttonbush | Van | Cambridge | |
Cercis canadensis | eastern redbud | Hod | Greater Toronto Area | |
Chelone glabra | turtlehead | Har | Elmvale | |
Cirsium discolor | field thistle | McK | Caledon | |
Clematis virginiania | virgin's bower | Hod | Greater Toronto Area | |
Desmodium canadense | showy tick- trefoil | Den | Greater Toronto Area | |
Doellingeria umbellata | flat-topped aster | Hen | Greater Toronto Area | |
Doellingeria umbellata | flat-topped aster | Van | source- Acorus nursery, ON | |
Doellingeria umbellata | flat-topped aster | McK | Caledon | |
Eryngium yuccifolium | rattlesnake master | Van | source- Acorus nursery, ON | |
Eupatorium altissimum | tall boneset | Brant ON | ||
Eupatorium perfoliatum | boneset | Bel | Greater Toronto Area | |
Eupatorium perfoliatum | boneset | Bri | Guelph | |
Eurybia divaricata | white wood aster | Bri | Guelph | |
Eurybia divaricata | white wood aster | Den | Greater Toronto Area | |
Eurybia macrophylla | large-leaved aster | Hen | Greater Toronto Area | |
Eutrochium maculatum | spotted Joe Pye weed | McK | Caledon | |
Eutrochium purpureum | sweet Joe Pye weed | McK | Caledon | |
Eutrochium purpureum | sweet Joe Pye weed | Bri | Guelph | |
Gentiana andrewsii | bottle gentian | McK | Caledon | |
Gleditsia triacanthos | honey locust | Hod | Greater Toronto Area | |
Gymnocladus dioica | Kentucky coffee tree | Hod | Greater Toronto Area | |
Gymnocladus dioica | Kentucky coffee tree | Zed | Campbellcroft ON | |
Helenium autumnale | sneezeweed | Kon/Mea | Greater Toronto Area | |
Helenium autumnale | sneezeweed | McK | Caledon | |
Helianthus divaricatus | woodland sunflower | Har | Elmvale | |
Helianthus giganteus | tall sunflower | Har | Elmvale | |
Hibiscus moscheutos | rose mallow | Van | source- Acorus nursery, ON | |
Hypericum ascyron | giant St. John's-wort | Van | Cambridge | |
Hypericum kalmianum | Kalm's St. John's-wort | Hen | Greater Toronto Area | |
Ipomoea pandurata | wild potato vine | Hod | Greater Toronto Area | |
Lespedeza violacea | wand-like bush clover | Van | souce- Acorus nursery, ON | |
Liatris aspera | rough blazing star | McK | Caledon | |
Liatris ligulistylus | meadow blazing star | Mea | Greater Toronto Area | |
L | Liatris spicata | dense blazing star | Hen/Mea | Greater Toronto Area |
Liatris spicata | dense blazing star | Pat | Mississauga | |
Lilium michiganense | Michigan lily | McK | Caledon | |
Lilium michiganense | Michigan lily | Har | Elmvale | |
Linum lewisii | prairie flax | Bri | Gueph | |
L | Lobelia cardinalis | cardinal flower | Hen | Greater Toronto Area |
Lupinus perennis | blue lupine | Bri | Norfolk County & Guelph | |
Mainanthemum stellatum | false/star-flowered Solomon's seal | McK | Caledon | |
Monarda didyma | Bee Balm | Bel | Greater Toronto Area | |
Monarda punctata | horsemint | Zed | Campbellcroft ON | |
Oenothera biennis | evening primrose | Hod/Den | Greater Toronto Area | |
Oenothera biennis | evening primrose | Har | Elmvale | |
Opuntia humifusa | prickly pear | Den | Greater Toronto Area | |
Penstemon digitalis | foxglove beardtongue | Den/Hen | Greater Toronto Area | |
Phytolacca americana | American pokeweed | Har | Elmvale | |
Platanus occidentalis | American sycamore | Hod | Greater Toronto Area | |
Pycnanthemum pilosum | hairy mountain mint | McK | Caledon | |
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium | slender mountain mint | Van | Cambridge | |
Pycnanthemum virginianum | Virginia mountain mint | Van | source- Acorus nursery, ON | |
Ratibida pinnata | gray headed coneflower | Har | Elmvale | |
Ratibida pinnata | gray headed coneflower | Hen | Greater Toronto Area | |
Rudbeckia laciniata | green-headed coneflower | Hen | Greater Toronto Area | |
Rudbeckia triloba | brown eyed Susan | Hen | Greater Toronto Area | |
Silphium perfoliatum | cup plant | Atk | Gravenhurst | |
Solidago bicolor | white goldenrod | Sha | Greater Toronto Area | |
Solidago caesia | blue-stemmed goldenrod | Sha | Greater Toronto Area | |
Solidago caesia | blue-stemmed goldenrod | McK | Caledon | |
Solidago flexicaulis | zigzag goldenrod | Hen/Den | Greater Toronto Area | |
Solidago nemoralis | gray goldenrod | McK | Caledon | |
Solidago nemoralis | gray goldenrod | Hen | Greater Toronto Area | |
Solidago riddellii | Riddell's goldenrod | Van | source- Acorus nursery, ON | |
Solidago rigida | stiff goldenrod | Hen/Sha | Greater Toronto Area | |
Solidago rigida (Oligoneuron rigidum) | stiff goldenrod | Van | source- Acorus nursery, ON | |
Staphylea trifolia | bladdernut | Bri | Guelph | |
Symphyotrichum cordifolius | heart-leaved aster | Den | Greater Toronto Area | |
Symphyotrichum ericoides | heath aster | Den | Greater Toronto Area | |
Symphyotrichum ericoides | heath aster | McK | Caledon | |
Symphyotrichum laeve | smooth aster | Hen | Greater Toronto Area | |
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae | New England aster | Van | Burlington | |
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae | New England aster | Bel | Woodbridge | |
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae | New England aster | Den/Hen | Greater Toronto Area | |
Symphyotrichum oolentangiense | sky blue aster | Hen | Greater Toronto Area | |
Symphyotrichum pilosum | frost aster | McK | Caledon | |
Symphyotrichum puniceum (sold out) | swamp aster | McK | Caledon | |
Symphyotrichum shortii | Short's aster | McK | Caledon | |
L | Thalictrum polygamum | tall meadow rue | Hen | Greater Toronto Area |
Verbena hastata | blue vervain | Can | Greater Toronto Area | |
Verbena hastata | blue vervain | McK | Caledon | |
Verbena stricta | hoary vervain | Bri | Guelph | |
Verbesina alternifolia | wingstem | Bri | Guelph | |
Vernonia | ironweed | Sha | Greater Toronto Area | |
Vernonia altissima | ironweed | Den/Hen | Greater Toronto Area | |
Vernonia fasciculatis | ironweed | Bel | Greater Toronto Area | |
Vernonia gigantea | tall ironweed | Har | Elmvale | |
Vernonia missurica | ironweed | Kon | Greater Toronto Area | |
Veronicastrum virginicum | Culver's root | McK | Caledon | |
Veronicastrum virginicum | Culver's root | Hen/Den | Greater Toronto Area | |
Veronicastrum virginicum | Culver's root | Bri | Guelph | |
Wisteria frutescens | American wisteria | Bri | Halton | |
Zizia aurea | golden Alexanders | Har | Elmvale |
Our donors are our heroes!
The following donors contributed to the 2016-17 SEEDEX:
Atk – Eileen Atkinson
Bel – Martha Bell
Bri- Judy Brisson
Can – Alexandrina Canto Thaler
Den – Vivienne Denton
Har- Kate Harries
Hen – Miriam Henriques
Hod – Jim Hodgins
Ima – Stan Imada
Kon – Alice Kong
McK – Darcie McKelvey
Mea – Howard Meadd
Pat – B Patterson
Sha – Stacey Shannon
Van- Brenda van Ryswyk
Zed – Jane Zednick
Please include the following information with your request for seeds: your name and mailing address, the species you’d like (by botanical name) and any substitutions you would like in case we cannot supply your first choice. If you prefer seed from a specific listed location please so indicate and we’ll try to comply.
If you are donating seed, please remember to provide botanical and common name and source information if known.
Seed donors may request up to 30 packets; other members may order a maximum of 15 packets. If you are a Canadian requester include $2 for the first packet and 50 cents for each additional packet. If you are requesting acorns/nuts of tree species please add an extra $2 to cover the cost of mailing. If you are an American requester please send $20 to cover the cost of a phytosanitary certificate and 50 cents for each packet of seeds (in U.S. funds). Tree and shrub seeds cannot be sent to the U.S.
Cheque or money order only – please do not send cash in the mail.
Send your request to:
Inquiries can be made by email at seeds@nanps.org.
Happy growing!