Our mission is to promote the enjoyment and conservation of North Carolina’s native plants and their habitats through education, protection, cultivation, and advocacy.

Featherbells (Stenanthium gramineum var. robustum) on the Parkway. Photo by Will Stuart.
Why native plants?
How can I make a difference?
Monarch Butterfly

Garden with native plants

Native plants are the cornerstone for North Carolina’s biological diversity. Choosing native plants for your garden is the best way to provide food and shelter for our native animals and insects.

Identify native & non-native plants

Identifying both native & non-native plants is the first step to moving in the right direction. We’ve got a myriad of ways to search plants with detailed photos and helpful search tools.

Apply for grants & scholarships

To preserve and protect native plants in North Carolina, we offer four funding sources that support projects to achieve our mission. Click through for more details below.

Native plant education

To know native plants is to want to protect them. That’s why education is a central part of our mission. We support a wide range of activities and resources that  foster new generations of native plant enthusiasts.

Recent happenings
It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of one of Botany’s giants, Dr. Thomas Lawrence Mellichamp on September 12, 2022.

Browse the summary of our annual meeting held in June 2022.

View photos from our annual meeting held in June 2022.

View the gallery of photos from Cullowhee.

Follow our chapters on Facebook
Also find us on YouTube!