Local Source Initiative

The Local Source Initiative makes seed grown plants from local wildlands available to the public. These plants are a great choice if you want to support wildlife in your garden. Look for plants with an additional purple tag in our nursery. The purple tags list the location of the wild source population from which the plants were propagated. Local Source plants are also listed in our inventory and online store as unique items, with their place of origin as part of the item tag.

The main purpose of the Local Source Initiative is to give gardeners the ability to restore natural habitats. Plant species develop genetic adaptations based on local factors specific to individual plant and pollinator populations. These plants may offer greater support to pollinators and be better adapted to the local conditions of your garden. Cultivating locally sourced plants in residential landscapes is a great way to build habitat connectivity. By matching their location to the plants they purchase, gardeners can choose to grow same species as the ones which occur naturally in surrounding wildlands

All local source seed collections are conducted by trained staff in an ethical manner that is not destructive to wild plant populations or their habitats. The quantities of seed harvested to grow these plants are limited and are always collected with official permission from land managers. Theodore Payne Foundation is strongly opposed to unpermitted harvesting of seeds from public wildlands.

Our stock of Local Source plants is limited, and changes frequently. Below is a selection of the plants that habe been offered for sale through the Local Source Initiative.