Shop locally grown New England native plants, seeds, and garden goods in Massachusetts at Blue Stem Natives. Women-owned business. Supporting pollinators, birds, and healthy ecosystems. New England Native Plants for Every Project Plants for homeowners, landscapers, towns & designers — Located in Norwell, Massachusetts Shop Plants Shop Seeds Current Inventory Visit Us Why Native? Native plants support wildlife, strengthen ecosystems, and thrive in New England conditions. • Eco-friendly & sustainable • Resilient in volatile weather • Provide essential food & habitat • Restore healthy soil & ecosystems Favorite Plants Looking for a place to start? For At-Risk Wildlife Hummingbird Favorites Sunny+Dry Deer Resistant Groundcovers Salt Tolerant TESTIMONIALS

Garden Kits - Mix and Match Quarts Mix and Match! Buy 14 quart-size pots and get 1 quart-size pot free. Design tip: groups of odd numbers like 3 or 5 look best together, :) Need a cheat sheet to see what's available in 1 quart size? Check out this week’s inventory, always up to date. ENTER CODE AT CHECKOUT FOR FREE PLANT: "MIXFREEBIE ", only applicable to this garden kit. Species 1 Select Species 2 Select Species 3 Select Species 4 Select Species 5 Select Species 6 Select Species 7 Select Species 8 Select Species 9 Select Error loading plants. Please refresh. Add to Cart Species 10 Select Species 11 Select Species 12 Select Species 13 Select Species 14 Select Species 15 Select

Sign up for Blue Stem Natives newsletters for updates on native plants, seeds, workshops, and seasonal happenings. > About > Newsletters > Newsletter Archive Don't want to miss the next newsletter? Sign up at the bottom of any page on the website! Newsletter subscribers receive the first notification of sales, events, and more. We never share your email address. Newsletters are listed NEWEST FIRST: 2025 Early summer, 2025 : BSN goes mobile and discounts Late-late spring, 2025: bird houses and plant vignettes at BSN Late spring, 2025: Garden cleanup and garden planning part 2. Early spring, 2025: Invasive species and garden planning part 1. Late winter, 2025 : Veggies, photo contest winners, and Monarchs Winter, 2025: Celebrating black history month and a photo contest! 2024 Early winter, 2024: a holiday market and workshops Mid autumn, 2024: Seeds and autumn chores Autumn, 2024: Seed sowing resources Early autumn, 2024: Best time to plant and seed mixes Extra late summer, 2024: Native plant resources Late summer, 2024: Watering 101 Mid-late summer, 2024: Gardening in the summer and all about our pots Summer, 2024: Giveaway bonanza and natives for newbies. Early summer, 2024: Garden nibblers and meet our new pot filler! Spring, 2024: All about native shrubs: edible, wonderfully scented, and fancy! Early spring, 2024: Veggies, space invaders, and plant of the month club Late winter, 2024: C.S.A. and invasive species removal 2023 November, 2023: Winter events in-person and online October, 2023 : Thank you discounts and seed updates Late September, 2023: On-the-road and berries for birds Early September, 2023: End-of summer update s, new sp ecies and fun giveaways. August, 2023: Great organizations + Gardening in dry soil with native plants. Late July, 2023: Pollinators + Plants. Early July, 2023: Shrub sale and "Mini-Guide to Gardening for Monarchs". June, late, 2023: Monarchs, shrubs, and giveaways. June, early, 2023: Sustainability at Blue Stem. May, late, 2023: What's in bloom at Blue Stem. May, early, 2023: Soil, bokashi composting, and Mother's day. April, 2023: Growing updates and veggies. Getting ready for opening. March, 2023: Meet our wonderful employees! Plus garden design and plant updates. February, 2023 : Winter interest in the garden and our C.S.A. January, 2023: Workshops! 2022 Early winter, 2022: Greenhouse updates and gift cards Fall, 2022: Seeds and sowing resource Early fall, 2022 : Top ten fall gardening chores and great discounts Late summer, 2022 : Celebrating Wild Ones, seeds, and more. Summer, 2022: Big Blue Stem News + garden kits Early summer, 2022 : WHY native plants and all about rain barrels Late spring, 2022 : Gardening for life and plant spotlight Late spring, 2022 : A giveaway, trading post, and Blue Stem updates Spring 2022 : Looking for something to plant but not sure where to start? What to plant... 2021 Winter, 2021 : Greenhouse update, news, and new species (spoiler, we went a little overboard). Late Fall, 2021: Tips for your garden in the fall. Favorite online presentations. Early Fall, 2021: Thank you so much for all of your support this year! Summer, 2021: Updates, additional hours and great new plants and items! Spring, 2021: Our first newsletter! Blue Stem Natives updates

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New England native plants designed for rain gardens that manage stormwater while supporting pollinators. > Evergreen > What to Plant: Evergreen Native Plants Evergreen native plants bring something to the garden that most plants simply can't: year-round presence. While the rest of the garden is resting, evergreens are holding the structure together, offering shelter to overwintering birds and insects, and keeping things from looking too bare during the long months between first frost and spring. They tend to be the quiet workhorses of a native planting, not always the showiest thing in bloom, but reliably there. Many also happen to be remarkably tough once established, shrugging off drought, poor soils, and neglect in ways that their showier neighbors sometimes can't manage.

New England native plants designed for rain gardens that manage stormwater while supporting pollinators. > Rabbit Resistant > What to Plant: Rabbit Resistant Native Plants Many native plants have developed natural defenses over thousands of years, including strong scents, tough textures, and bitter compounds that rabbits tend to pass over in favor of easier meals. The plants on this list lean into those natural deterrents, making them good choices where rabbits are regular visitors. Planting thickly helps too. A single plant on its own is a little like setting out a meal; a full, generous planting means rabbits can nibble here and there without you ever noticing. Just keep in mind that "rabbit resistant" is never the same as "rabbit proof," and a hungry rabbit has been known to make exceptions. Further Reading How to stop bunnies from eating your pollinator garden, Tufts Pollinator Initiative

New England native plants that provide nectar and habitat for hummingbirds throughout the growing season. > Hummingbirds > What to Plant: Native Plants for Hummingbirds Hummingbirds are one of the most delightful birds to show in the Spring, bringing with them the promise of full summer days ahead. When we think about planting a garden to encourage hummingbirds, our first thought goes to nectar production and flower shape. What most people don’t think about is that hummingbirds obtain most of their energy from eating insects, especially the small flying ones. The plants on this list do tend toward the direct support needs of these wonderful birds, but also included are ones that support the insects as well. Further Reading online: "Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Garden Using Native Plants" - U.S. Forest Service online: "Nectar-rich Natives for Hummingbirds" - Grow Native, Missouri online: "Hummingbirds Are at Home When We Plant Native Plants" - Audubon

Find the right New England native plants for your site based on sun, soil, and conditions. Practical guidance for Massachusetts gardens. > What to Plant > What to Plant Looking for something to plant but not sure where to start? Take a look at some lists we've put together. On each page you'll find additional resources from books, to websites, to videos. Agressive At-Risk Species Berries for Birds Deer Resistant Edible Native Plants Groundcovers Hummingbird Invasive Alternatives Lawn Alternatives Rain Garden Roadside Tolerant Shoreline Slope Stabilization Rabbit Resistant Evergreen

New England native plants designed for rain gardens that manage stormwater while supporting pollinators. > Rain Garden > What to Plant: Native Plants for Rain Gardens Planting Rain Gardens is a widely misunderstood concept for many of us. The term brings to mind marshy areas and water loving plants, which most homeowners simply don’t have. We assume we don’t have the appropriate area or need for such a garden. In reality, a rain garden is a wonderful tool to be used in areas which might receive a higher amount of water but isn’t necessarily consistently wet. We probably all have downspouts, right? Spots in our yards where water runs down and pools for a longer period than others? These are the perfect places to plant species capable of filtering larger amounts of water, but can also survive in periods of drought. Further Reading video: "How To Build A Rain Garden" , NSRWA, WaterSmartSouthShore, and Wild Ones book: "Rain Gardens: Sustainable Landscaping for a Beautiful Yard and a Healthy World" , Lynn Steiner online: "How to Build a Rain Garden to Filter Run-Off" , This Old House online: "How to Build a Rain Garden in Your Yard", Family Handyman online: "Building a Rain Garden", Northampton, MA Gov site

Hardy New England native plants adapted for roadside conditions, including salt tolerance and poor soils. > Roadside > What to Plant: Native Plants for the Roadside New England roadsides may just be one of the more challenging areas to plant. The requirements look like a nightmare job posting. Wanted: Low-maintenance blooming plants that don’t grow too tall and need little care to establish. Must be able to tolerate the following conditions: Higher than average heat as radiated from the asphalt roadways and pollution from vehicles, dry, nutrient-deprived, sandy soil which is often hard packed, half of the year you will experience drought, the other half you will be covered with mountains of snow and will often have salt winged over you. You need to be attractive, not weedy, and you can’t grow too tall so as to block the view of drivers. You may need to respond well to periodic mowing, self-seeding is a plus. Compensation from pollinators commensurate with experience. If you are up to the challenge, these plants have all passed our “most likely to succeed” criteria. Best of Luck. Printable PDF here. Further Reading online: "Maine Department of Transportation Roadside Guide" - in collaboration with Wild Seed Project online: "Guide to Roadside Revegetation" - U.S. Department of Transportation online: "Creating Habitat in the Space Between the Sidewalk and the Curb" - Ecological Landscape Alliance

New England native lawn alternatives that reduce mowing, support pollinators, and thrive in local conditions. > Lawn Alternatives > Americans are in love with their lawns, spending insane amounts of money and time cultivating our largest crop-turf grass. This crop provides no nutritional benefit, does not support wildlife, and requires a huge investment to maintain. Expand your idea of what a lawn needs to look like and use these recommendations to create an enviable, functional ecosystem. There are a variety of plants that can be used to reduce or replace turf grass across a variety of sun and soil types. You can thank us when you reclaim your Sundays back from mowing. Further Reading Webinar (recorded): "How to Replace Your Lawn", Tower Hill Botanic Garden horticulture director Mark Richardson online: "Mini Meadow - Native Plantings" , Chatham Conservation Foundation What to Plant: Lawn Alternatives

Low-growing New England native groundcovers ideal for weed suppression, erosion control, and habitat support. > Groundcovers > What to Plant: Native Plants as Groundcover/Living Mulch The term “groundcover” spans a wide variety of plants, some of which may surprise you. When most people think of groundcovers, they envision plants that are short and spread quickly. Add to that list taller plants that shade the ground as well. Plants that have squat profiles and spread out over the ground work to prevent sunlight from reaching the seeds in the ground, thereby reducing unwanted plant growth. The real benefit to installing groundcovers instead of relying on mulch is that you are keeping patches of soil open which allows a habitat for our native ground-nesting pollinators. Further Reading online: "Native Ground Covers for Beauty and Biodiversity at the Ground Level" - Wild Seed Project PDF: "Why Mulch When You Can Plant" - Dan Wilder

Browse deer-resistant New England native plants selected for gardens with heavy browsing pressure. > Deer Resistant > Let’s face it, the concept of deer resistance can make the most seasoned gardener shake their head. If deer get hungry enough, they will eat just about anything, and it is quickly becoming one of the more dire ecological issues in our area. The plants on this list have been known to withstand deer browsing, few will be largely ignored entirely. The caveat, as always, is that the resistance is not always consistent in different locations. What works for some, may not for others. We highly recommend protecting young plants, as they are more likely to withstand browsing when they are fully grown. Further Reading PDF: "Deer Tolerant Resistant Plants" , Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, PA book: "Deer-Resistant Native Plants for the Northeast", by Ruth Rogers Clausen and Gregory D Tepper PDF: "Deer Resistant Native Plants" , New England Wildflower Society, (now Native Plant Trust) What to Plant: Deer Resistant Native Plants

Edible New England native plants that offer food for people while supporting pollinators and local ecosystems. > Edible > What to Plant: Edible Native Plants When we think about edible plants, we most often envision plump, tasty berries, or obvious hanging fruit. If you focus solely on these attributes, you will be missing out on the wide variety of native plants that are edible, either entirely or in part. Many of our native plants have been used for centuries by Indigenous People for both food and medicinal purposes. While we list our favorites here, we always caution you to do your own thorough research, understand what parts of a plant are edible and under what circumstances, and always, ALWAYS exercise caution when collecting and eating any wild-collected plant. Further Reading E.L.A. newsletter article: "More Edible and Landscape-Worthy Plants of New England " - Georgia Hann and Russ Cohen book: "Wild Plants I Have Known...and Eaten" - Russ Cohen online: "Edible and Landscape-worthy Native Plants of New England" - Russ Cohen and Ellen Sousa online: "Native Greens" - Wild Seed Project online: "The Tastiest Plants in New England" - Dan Wilder (Jaffe)

New England native plants suited for container gardening, perfect for patios, porches, and small-space gardens. > Container Gardening > What to Plant: Native Plants in Container Gardening We often hear from people who are interested in native plants, but live in areas without land to plant in-ground gardens. Luckily, there are plenty of plants which can grow well in containers, allowing all of our patio garden friends to join the movement. Many native plants tend to be somewhat drought tolerant, which helps when container gardening, as these pots tend to dry out quickly. While some plants may require some trimming to maintain a reasonable size, often the restriction of the roots will naturally reduce the size of the fully-grown plants. Likewise, planting some of our more aggressive species in pots can help reduce unwanted spread while retaining their noted benefits! Further Reading online: "Container Gardening with Native Plants" - Missouri Botanical Garden online: "Balcony gardens – Natives in pots for urbanites and people on the move" - Wild Seed Project online: " Wildlife Waystations: Captivating Containers with Native Plants" - Audubon online: "Gardening with Native Plants: Container Gardening" - University of Wisconsin online: "Native Plant Container Gardening" - Grow Native, Missouri

There are many ways that native plants can attract feathered friends to your landscape. We've compiled a list of native plants that provide food for birds in the form of fruit or berries; offering fruit in your landscape across the seasons contributes essential nutrition and energy for health, breeding, and migration. What to Plant: Berries for Birds There are many ways that native plants can attract feathered friends to your landscape. We've compiled a list of native plants that provide food for birds in the form of fruit or berries ; offering fruit in your landscape across the seasons contributes essential nutrition and energy for health, breeding, and migration. Bonus: Did you know that native birds will eat the native berries in your yards then (um) "deposit" seeds in the woods nearby, thus creating even more vegetation that supports your local ecosystem. (This is a GREAT thing if it's a native plant and NOT a good thing if it's a non-native plant.) Important side note: If you want to read more about how most baby birds are raised on insects you can read more about that here . Spoiler: Plant native. (photo of a Blackburnian warbler by Paul Hurtado) Further Reading online: "Landscaping for Birds" , Mass Audubon online: "How to Make Your Yard Bird-Friendly" , National Audubon Society online: " Landscaping For Birds, Bugs and Beyond ", Orleans, Cape Cod

Vigorous New England native plants suited for tough sites where strong growth and competition are needed. > Aggressive > What to Plant: Aggressive Native Plants Don’t let the term Aggressive fool you. Many gardeners shy away from plants labeled as aggressive, when the term really should be used to identify plants which have a specific function. Aggressively growing plants are a necessary tool in the battle against the multitude of invasive species, allowing a beneficial native to fill in larger areas when cleared of invasives. Planted wisely, these species provide habitat for wildlife, improve soil conditions, and often have the pleasant benefit of adding beauty to our gardens. Further Reading online: "How to Fight Plants with Plants" The Humane Gardener online: "Rugged native plants for replanting after invasive species removal" - Wild Seed Project online: "Why Aggressive Plants Might Actually Be Your Friends" Houzz magazine